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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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
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.
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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
The contemptible mistreatment of Marie Yovanovitch—the ambassador to Ukraine who was dismissed for getting in the way of the president’s scheme to solicit foreign interference in U.S. elections—is just the latest example of President Donald Trump’s dangerous brand of diplomatic malpractice.
—William J. Burns, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2019
The administration’s omnibus rule is a contemptible abuse of executive power.
—Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contemptible 
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
The contemptible mistreatment of Marie Yovanovitch—the ambassador to Ukraine who was dismissed for getting in the way of the president’s scheme to solicit foreign interference in U.S. elections—is just the latest example of President Donald Trump’s dangerous brand of diplomatic malpractice.
—William J. Burns, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2019
The administration’s omnibus rule is a contemptible abuse of executive power.
—Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
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Meanwhile, nearly one-third of election offices don’t have any full-time staff, wages are pitiful, and turnover rates grew from 28 percent in 2004—already high—to nearly 39 percent in 2022.Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024
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The plight of Zimbabwe, moreover, remains pitiful, a once prosperous country not only reduced to economic ruin but also trapped in a culture of corruption and violence that Mugabe fostered since gaining power in 1980 and that is now deeply embedded among the ruling elite.Martin Meredith, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
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After a downright pathetic few weeks, the Russians regrouped—or at least got regrouped enough.Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
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The upcoming sequel to This Is Spinal Tap will be turning the pathetic knobs all the way to 11.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2024
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Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
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The mass protests, vile sound bites, revolving door to his administration, and constant threats of violence and war have been exhausting.Brea Baker, refinery29.com, 24 Oct. 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
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Good post for a mid- to late-November afternoon: 70 to 100 yards back in timber and along the thickest, nastiest ditch that leads out to crops. 59) Don’t waste precious rut-hunting time.Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
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Reason for Ranking: Yet another solid (and prescient) premise that’s spoiled by a nasty streak and curious jokes about, uh, Abraham Lincoln hitting on Homer.Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
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By contrast, solar panels, wind turbines, and appliances like induction stoves only get better — more efficient and cheaper — with time.Matt Simon / Grist, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
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The standard plan with ads costs $6.99/month, less than half the cost of the regular standard plan ($15.49/month), and much cheaper than the top-tier premium plan ($22.99/month).Emily Dreibelbis Forlini, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
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Carbon emissions would increase because there is a dearth of renewables and the world would have to burn dirtier fossil fuels from non-Western entities.Dan Ikenson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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Yes, but: Charlie Bailey, a former Fulton County gang prosecutor who ran for lieutenant governor as a Democrat in 2022, told Axios that the RICO law was created to catch leaders of criminal organizations who weren't doing the dirty work.Kristal Dixon, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
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Bill undergoes a moral crisis when his path crosses with a wretched head nun (Emily Watson) at a convent that’s part of the notorious Magdalene Laundries — a place of severe abuse of women.Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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The quirky, engaging film centers on the wretched and lonely lives of 1970s Australian twins — Grace (Sarah Snook) and Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee) — who weather rotten foster families apart after their alcoholic, paraplegic father dies.Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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