All 8 Uses of
contempt
in
1776, by McCullough
- The St. James's Chronicle wrote contemptuously of "a foolish, obstinate, and unrelenting King."†
p. 9.7 *contemptuously = with disrespect
- But at the same time he struggled with his own mounting contempt for New Englanders.†
p. 41.0
- He had only contempt for "these people," he confided in a letter to Congressman Richard Henry Lee, another fellow Virginian.†
p. 41.2
- For the Loyalists who had fled with the enemy, he had only contempt.†
p. 110.9
- Nor should they forget that they faced an enemy who held them in contempt.†
p. 159.9
- And with the pride in who and what they were went a very real contempt for, even hatred of, their American foes, whom they saw as cowards and traitors.†
p. 168.3
- His contempt for the rebels had never been greater: "Thus this town and its environs, which these blustering gentlemen had taken such wonderful pains to fortify, were given up in two or three hours without any defense, or the least appearance of a manly resistance."†
p. 213.7
- He spoke little or no English and had only contempt for the rebel army.†
p. 279.0
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."