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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contemptible
Civil-liberties organizations have defended neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on the basis that, unless there is free speech for the most contemptible members of society, there cannot be free speech for all.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
Despite his more contemptible tendencies of the past decade, Chappelle is a tremendously gifted stand-up at heart, and these sprawling monologues are always exciting.
—Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2025
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
Most Europeans find Donald Trump alien and contemptible and a man unsuited for the U.S. presidency.
—David Goodart, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
Despite his more contemptible tendencies of the past decade, Chappelle is a tremendously gifted stand-up at heart, and these sprawling monologues are always exciting.
—Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2025
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
Most Europeans find Donald Trump alien and contemptible and a man unsuited for the U.S. presidency.
—David Goodart, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
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As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
30 Aug. 2025
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Over 1,000 murdered whilst queuing for aid, starved due to their siege, whilst pitiful amounts of aid delivered by a sham agency controlled by Israel.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The end of that era came slowly, through the pathetic collapse of Syria and Lebanon as functioning states, and then quickly, when Israel began touching Hezbollah in unexpected places.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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Want the poop on this pathetic history?—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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What's more, monsters like Alex Jones, the vile conspiracy theorist, claimed the shooting never happened and that the families of the victims were actors.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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His motives seemed as vile as his actions.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Shootouts are lame in comparison.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
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On the other hand, Powell probably has little incentive to commit firmly given high lame-duck status and the fact that more employment and inflation numbers will hit before the September meeting.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sean Gardner/Getty Images This comes just weeks after Zilisch suffered a nasty fall from his car in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, which resulted in a broken collarbone.—
Lydia Mee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Parents pushing, people cutting lines, nasty attitudes everywhere, especially outside and in Sephora.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The efficiency and immediacy of space medicine may well influence healthcare innovation far beyond orbit, inspiring systems that are faster, cheaper, and more accessible.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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But because the signals are so faint, they can be drowned out by cheap jammers or replaced by counterfeit ones.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Wearing shoes in the home tracks soil from outside, leaving floors dirtier and requiring more frequent sweeping.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
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Laptop screens get spattered, smeared, dusty, and dirty from frequent use.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Soldiers stationed in the area remarked on the wretched smell of decomposition well into 1917, a year after the battle ended.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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Invisible anguish is especially wretched.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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