1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
the contemptible thieves who stole the Christmas gifts intended for needy children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
a contemptible attempt at science fiction by someone with no understanding of the genre
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
the contemptible behavior of the students who took part in the hazing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contemptible
Most Europeans find Donald Trump alien and contemptible and a man unsuited for the U.S. presidency.
—
David Goodart, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
It’s turned out very badly and the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu is contemptible.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
Be open-minded and recognize that even a campaign opponent — even the contemptible Trump — can occasionally be onto something worthwhile.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Alwyn does some of his best work, making Harry contemptible without veering into caricature.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
David Goodart, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
It’s turned out very badly and the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu is contemptible.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
Be open-minded and recognize that even a campaign opponent — even the contemptible Trump — can occasionally be onto something worthwhile.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Alwyn does some of his best work, making Harry contemptible without veering into caricature.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
-
The pitiful performance by the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 divisional round.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
-
But the rates were pitiful: $9.87 for a 13-mile trip, $19.97 for a 25-mile trip and so on.—
Eli Tan,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
What with weakened teams and consistently pathetic performances, their league form on both their parts has been pathetic enough to be termed a dereliction of duty.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Take yesterday’s left hook out of nowhere by President Donald Trump, bragging about doing something that would bust even this pathetic budget.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Finally, the mint julep is a vile almost undrinkable beverage.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
-
Along with receiving vulgar comments in person and people taking her picture on campus, the 18-year-old has received vile and sexist messages after her phone number was posted online.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was brilliant (35 points), and the Thunder defense was nasty.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
-
But Laxe’s cadence of death is nasty and arbitrary and delightful.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
Three or four people to one cabin was far cheaper than the same number of people booking three or four plane tickets to get to Spain.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
-
Once delivered, framing and panel assembly are faster and cheaper than conventional builds—cutting structural build time by 40% and labor costs by 20%.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Martin Kove as John Kreese Martin Kove played John Kreese, Johnny's karate mentor, who encourages his students to play dirty and harass Daniel.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
1 June 2025
-
The infant was scheduled to be cremated, according to the release, but the body was accidentally taken to Shreveport with a load of dirty linens.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Baltimore Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde last week after a wretched start to the season, which followed a winter in which general manager Mike Elias could not land an upper-tier arm to improve the pitching staff.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
-
Gilead is God’s kingdom on Earth, and the Commanders are his wretched priests.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share