All 6 Uses of
contempt
in
Oryx and Crake
- She'd been so contemptuous of him.†
p. 91.4contemptuous = showing a lack of respect
- It was the picture of the look she'd given him, the direct, contemptuous, knowing look that had dealt him such a blow when he was — what?†
p. 215.6 *
- This was the laugh he feared most from her, because it disguised amused contempt.†
p. 119.8
- But the others have already begun moving away, so the boar thinks better of it and follows them, marking its contempt and defiance by dropping a pile of dung as it goes.†
p. 235.4
- But the look was the same: the same blend of innocence and contempt and understanding.†
p. 255.8
- He could imagine Crake's amused contempt, and the disappointment of Oryx: But Jimmy!†
p. 344.8
Definitions:
-
(1)
(contempt as in: feels contempt towards her) lack of respect for someone or something thought inferior -- often accompanied by a feeling of dislike or disgustA 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." -
(2)
(contempt as in: held in contempt of court) the crime of willful disobedience to or disrespect for the authority of a court or legislative bodyFormally, this is called "contempt of court," but it is often shortened as just "contempt."