disdain

Disdain is defined as to reject or refuse something with contempt.

(verb)

An example of disdain is a cat refusing to eat a new type of food.

The definition of disdain is the act of refusing something because it is beneath you.

(noun)

An example of disdain is the feeling someone had about wearing clothes from the donation bin.

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See disdain in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

to regard or treat as unworthy or beneath one's dignity; specif., to refuse or reject with aloof contempt or scorn

Origin: ME disdeinen < OFr desdaignier < VL *disdignare, for LL dedignare < L dedignari < dis-, dis- + dignari: see deign

noun

the feeling, attitude, or expression of disdaining; aloof contempt or scorn

See disdain in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb dis·dained, dis·dain·ing, dis·dains
  1. To regard or treat with haughty contempt; despise. See Synonyms at despise.
  2. To consider or reject as beneath oneself.
noun
A feeling or show of contempt and aloofness; scorn.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English disdeinen

Origin: , from Old French desdeignier

Origin: , from Vulgar Latin *disdignāre

Origin: , from Latin dēdignārī

Origin: : dē-, de-

Origin: + dignārī, to deem worthy (from dignus, worthy; see dek- in Indo-European roots)

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