Contemptible
/kənˈtɛmptəbəl/noun
Deserving contempt; worthy of scorn or disdain.
Did you know?Contemptible comes from the same Latin root as contempt and means something fit to be held in contempt, not a magical word itself—but it’s part of a whole ancient family built around the act of looking down on someone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*temp-
“to stretch, extend; in later Latin usage, to aim at or direct oneself toward”
Latin
Latin
contemptus
“scorn, disdain; literally a feeling of looking down on or ignoring”
Late Latin
Latin
contemptibilis
“despicable, worthy of contempt”
Old French
Old French
contemptible
“deserving contempt; despicable”
Middle English
English
contemptible
“deserving to be despised or scorned”
Modern English
English
contemptible
“deserving contempt; worthy of scorn or disdain”