condescension
16
7.9
- noun
- /ˌkɒndɪˈsɛnʃən/
:
condescendencia
- The teacher's condescension was evident when she treated her students as if they were incapable of understanding the material.
- degree of condescension
- certain condescension
- condescension and irony
While the river flowed by in majestic indifference and scornful condescension, ignoring everything.
- While the river flowed by in majestic indifference and scornful condescension, ignoring everything.
- And it's the condescension towards posterity that I thought we were trying to get away from as historians.
- It wasn't a condescension of helping out.
Examples
-
I've had my fill with the smug condescension of you worn-out pretenders, parading on the ruins of your past glories.
-
We should indeed be honored by your condescension, ma’am.
-
Oh, forgive our condescension, friend.
-
Your condescension, as always, is much appreciated, Arthur, thank you.
-
The teachers assumed an air of condescension that was awful.
Fiction book (1990) -
She loves you still, despite your obvious condescension towards her life.
-
Randall bridled slightly at the condescension, but what could he do?
Fiction book (1999) -
And his fellow psychiatrists, after he left, treated him with an air of pitying condescension.
Academic text (2009) -
"I don't have to answer you," she said, her voice drenched in condescension.
Fiction book (1994) -
Uriah: Much obliged for your condescension to an umble person, Master Copperfield.
Fiction book (2000)
Synonyms
133
4.8
Being too proud and acting as if you are better than others
65
6.5
A feeling of strong dislike and lack of respect
33
6.1
Acting or feeling that you are better than other people and making them feel small
12
6.3
An attitude of thinking you are better than others because of wealth or class
1
7.5
A way of showing you do not value someone's ideas or feelings
1
7.5
A way of thinking that makes you feel better than others and makes you treat them as less important
1
7.4
A way of behaving like you are better than other people because of money or class
1
8.4
Being someone who thinks they are better than people with less money or social position and looks down on them
1
8.2
Treating someone as if they are less smart or important than you
1
8.1
A way of behaving that shows you think you are better than other people
Treating people as if they are less smart or important
Behaving as if you are better than other people
A feeling that you are better than other people
Antonyms
How Condescending
Surface Forms
Morphology
condescension = condescend (transparent) = condescend + sion
The noun is a regular nominalization of the verb 'condescend' with the productive suffix '-sion', so the meaning is directly derived.
Etymology
The word condescension comes from the parts con- 'with' and descend 'to go down', so it originally meant to 'go down' to someone. That's why condescension now means acting like you are above others and 'talking down' to them.