All 4 Uses of
contempt
in
Anne Frank, the Diary of a Young Girl
- my contempt of Mother is growing daily
Chpt 42-11contempt = lack of respect
- Perhaps sometime I'll treat the others with the same contempt as they treat me.
Chpt 43-01
- Thank goodness the others notice nothing of my innermost feelings, except that every day I'm growing cooler and more contemptuous of Mother, less affectionate to Father and less willing to share a single thought with Margot; I'm closed up tighter than a drum.
Chpt 44-03 *contemptuous = disrespectful
- I mustn't carry my indifference and contempt for her too far.
Chpt 44-03contempt = disrespect
Definition:
-
(contempt as in: feels contempt towards her) lack of respect for someone or something thought inferior -- often accompanied by a feeling of dislike or disgusteditor's notes: A famous saying, "familiarity breeds contempt" comes from Aesop's fable, "The Fox and the Lion". (6th century BC)
When first the Fox saw the Lion he was terribly frightened, and ran away and hid himself in the wood. Next time however he came near the King of Beasts he stopped at a safe distance and watched him pass by. The third time they came near one another the Fox went straight up to the Lion and passed the time of day with him, asking him how his family were, and when he should have the pleasure of seeing him again; then turning his tail, he parted from the Lion without much ceremony.
The moral is traditionally, "Familiarity breeds contempt"; though an alternative moral is "Acquaintance softens prejudices."