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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Contemptuous \Con*temp"tu*ous\ (?; 135), a.
Manifesting or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful;
haughty; insolent; disdainful.
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A proud, contemptuous behavior. --Hammond.
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Savage invective and contemptuous sarcasm. --Macaulay.
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Rome . . . entertained the most contemptuous opinion of
the Jews. --Atterbury.

Syn: Scornful; insolent; haughty; disdainful; supercilious;
insulting; contumelious.

Usage: {Contemptuous}, {Contemptible}. These words, from
their similarity of sound, are sometimes erroneously
interchanged, as when a person speaks of having "a
very contemptible opinion of another." Contemptible is
applied to that which is the object of contempt; as,
contemptible conduct; acontemptible fellow.
Contemptuous is applied to that which indicates
contempt; as, a contemptuous look; a contemptuous
remark; contemptuous treatment. A person, or whatever
is personal, as an action, an expression, a feeling,
an opinion, may be either contemptuous or
contemptible; a thing may be contemptible, but can not
be contemptuous.
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