condescending

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con·de·scend·ing

(kŏn′dĭ-sĕn′dĭng)

adj.

Displaying a patronizingly superior attitude: "Wall Street's usual condescending attitude toward small investors" (Tom Petruno).

con′de·scend′ing·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

condescending

(ˌkɒndɪˈsɛndɪŋ)

adj

showing or implying condescension by stooping to the level of one's inferiors, esp in a patronizing way

ˌcondeˈscendingly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•de•scend•ing

(ˌkɒn dəˈsɛn dɪŋ)

adj.

showing condescension; implying a descent from dignity or superiority; patronizing.

[1630–40]

con`de•scend′ing•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.

condescending - (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension

arch, patronising, patronizing

superior - of or characteristic of high rank or importance; "a superior ruler"

condescending

adjective patronizing, lordly, superior, lofty, snooty (informal), snobbish, disdainful, supercilious, toffee-nosed (slang, chiefly Brit.), on your high horse (informal) I'm fed up with your condescending attitude.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

مُتَنازِل، مُعْطٍ الشُّعور بأنَّهُ أعْلى

blahosklonnýpovýšený

herablassend

condescendant méprisant affable

lekezelõ

yfirlætisfullur

condiscendente

aanmatigend neerbuigend

nedlatende

küçümseyentenezzül eden

叫人领情似的故意屈尊的

condescending

[ˌkɒndɪˈsendɪŋ] ADJ [attitude, tone, smile] → condescendiente
in a condescending way → de manera condescendiente
he's very condescending → tiene una actitud muy condescendiente → se cree muy superior
they were so condescending → su actitud fue tan condescendiente
to be condescending to or towards sb → tratar a algn con condescendencia

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

condescending

[ˌkɒndɪˈsɛndɪŋ] adj [attitude] → condescendant(e)
in a condescending way → avec condescendance
to be condescending to sb → se montrer condescendant(e) à l'égard de qn, se montrer condescendant(e) envers qn

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

condescending

adj (pej) → herablassend, von oben herab pred; to be condescending to or toward(s) somebody → jdn von oben herab or herablassend behandeln

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

condescending

[ˌkɒndɪˈsɛndɪŋ] adj → sussiegoso/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

condescend

(kondiˈsend) verb

to agree (to do something) in spite of one's feeling of superiority. The president of the company condescended to having dinner with the cleaning staff.

ˌcondeˈscending adjective

giving the impression that one is superior. a condescending manner.

ˌcondeˈscendingly adverb

ˌcondeˈscension (-ʃən) noun

References in classic literature ?

Notwithstanding his rather condescending attitude towards patriotism he had been adopted as the national poet, and seemed since the war of seventy to be one of the most significant glories of national unity.

View in context

But you must not think that he finds any DIFFICULTY in condescending to me, who am only a copyist.

View in context

"I do like it when he looks down at me from the height of his grandeur, or breaks off his learned conversation with me because I'm a fool, or is condescending to me.

View in context

Suppose a person of the Fourth Dimension, condescending to visit you, were to say, 'Whenever you open your eyes, you see a Plane (which is of Two Dimensions) and you INFER a Solid (which is of Three); but in reality you also see

View in context

"Yes, but it is hard for us to imagine eternity," remarked Dimmler, who had joined the young folk with a mildly condescending smile but now spoke as quietly and seriously as they.

After the condescending surprise, nonrecognition, and praise, from those who were not themselves dressed up, the young people decided that their costumes were so good that they ought to be shown elsewhere.

View in context

"Well, my dear Blanche," said the mother, "I suppose, as Papa wants to go, we must go; but we needn't know them in England, you know." And so, determined to cut their new acquaintance in Bond Street, these great folks went to eat his dinner at Brussels, and condescending to make him pay for their pleasure, showed their dignity by making his wife uncomfortable, and carefully excluding her from the conversation.

View in context

It's patronising and condescending to all of us who aren't sylphs to keep on being told that she's like one of us.

CAROLE MALONE: NIGELLA Lawson

I'm also upset about her condescending attitude toward Dignity.

Dignity and respect. (reader forum)

We were bombarded with goofy and dopey movies about high school high jinks such as American Pie and condescending, tawdry yawn-a-thons such as Varsity Blues, Never Been Kissed, or worse, Cruel Intentions.

The Campaign Goes to High School

(And Jon, people who live in vapid Safe houses shouldn't throw condescending words like "cornball" around.)

LETTERS

The condescending attitude of the former and the refusal to listen to the people by the latter should remind us that just over 50 years ago we were fighting to eliminate fascism.