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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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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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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Recent Examples of contemptible
Alwyn does some of his best work, making Harry contemptible without veering into caricature.
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David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
His take on Prince Philip is both humanizing and unmerciful, cutting to the bone of a man portrayed in contradictory terms — petulant yet statesmanlike, intensely ambitious yet ineffectual, relatable one minute and contemptible the next.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 30 July 2024
If one strips away the many glittering layers that have been added to her avatar by the operators and sycophants of America’s contemptible national press, one soon notices that Kamala Harris has a policy problem.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 29 July 2024
The good news is that Rubio’s Ukraine vote appears to have been merely an act of contemptible political expediency rather than a conversion to isolationism.
—Max Boot, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for contemptible 
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
His take on Prince Philip is both humanizing and unmerciful, cutting to the bone of a man portrayed in contradictory terms — petulant yet statesmanlike, intensely ambitious yet ineffectual, relatable one minute and contemptible the next.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 30 July 2024
If one strips away the many glittering layers that have been added to her avatar by the operators and sycophants of America’s contemptible national press, one soon notices that Kamala Harris has a policy problem.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 29 July 2024
The good news is that Rubio’s Ukraine vote appears to have been merely an act of contemptible political expediency rather than a conversion to isolationism.
—Max Boot, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
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The Bucs gained 156 yards on 32 carries, with the Giants’ pitiful tackling paving the way to most of those yards.Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
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This pitiful state of affairs has arisen even though the EU has a strong industrial base and counts four of the world’s ten largest arms exporters among its members.Norbert Röttgen, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Tucker Carlson's Fox News replacement:Jesse Watters is perfectly pathetic These 3 Arizona spots were ranked among top US dive bars for food.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
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The over is the obvious bet here given the pathetic state of both defenses.Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The dancing on the death of somebody was pretty vile.Miranda Kennedy, Vox, 10 Dec. 2024
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The hour sits with him as his anxiety builds, causing some to sympathize with him despite his typical vile behavior.EW Staff, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
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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
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Wireless Humidifier Another Healthy Home Awards winner, this portable humidifier can sit on top of their desk or nightstand to hydrate dry skin (or help a cold feel a little less nasty).Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 10 Dec. 2024
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Threat researchers have confirmed that a nasty new scam that targets macOS users is being actively exploited by hackers looking to get victims to download malware that will attempt to steal passwords from the keychain as well as through the Chrome, Bravo and Vivaldi web browsers manage others.Davey Winder, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The electric vehicle maker still is shooting for a launch of its cheaper vehicle in the first half of next year and other models later in the year, the bank said after the meeting with investor relations chief Travis Axelrod.Rachael Levy, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
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And cheap, lower-tech methods of creating and disseminating false information have been extremely successful on their own.Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But this flavor swaps dirty diesel for a clean and quiet electric drivetrain built around a 74-kWh battery pack for more than 90 miles (150 km) of hauling over all kinds of challenging terrain.Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 9 Dec. 2024
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The dirty secret is that students don't want to take courses in neo-Marxist nonsense.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Star Wars Outlaws Welcome to a wretched hive of scum and villainy.Richard Newby, TIME, 5 Dec. 2024
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That’s the shame of ruining what could have been the kind of win that happens once in a blue moon after a wretched first half when the offense totaled only two first downs and the Lions held a 16-0 lead and a 279-53 advantage in yardage.Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 29 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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