Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Displaying a patronizingly superior attitude: "The independent investor's desire to play individual stocks may well worry some market veterans, but that smacks a little of Wall Street's usual condescending attitude toward small investors” ( Tom Petruno).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Marked or characterized by condescension; stooping to the level of one's inferiors.
Wiktionary
- adj. Assuming a tone of superiority, or a patronizing attitude.
- v. present participle of condescend.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. exhibiting an attitude of superiority; patronizing; -- used of behavior or attitude.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
Examples
“The Clinton campaign declared Senator Obama's speeches won't hide what it called his condescending views of small town America and speaking for the first time on the controversy, Senator McCain accused Senator Obama of elitism.”
“No, being condescending is sometimes entirely justified and is not being a jackass at all.”
“Dilan Esper: No, being condescending is sometimes entirely justified and is not being a jackass atall.”
“And I think marketers are being just plain condescending to women in general and thereby hurting -- rather than helping -- their sales goals.”
“If so, forgive me while I burst out in condescending laughter.”
“Why her own campaign uses a photo that makes her look cold and condescending is beyond me.”
“I ... weak -- in condescending sympathy with the weak (1Co 9: 22).”
“See the marks he has there left of his love in condescending so low for us; see how easy he has made that bed, and how lightsome, for us, by lying in it himself; when we look into the grave, where we expect we must lie, to take off the terror of it, let us look into the grave where the Lord lay; the place where our”
“He is free in condescending to us, while we are shy of ascending to him.”
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon)
“Normally, I’d say condescending is a flaw, but if the audience is meant to find Mike dumb, I doubt that we’d hold condescension against her.”
Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels and comic books » SVT’s Review Forum
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘condescending’.
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2nd part
prelude, ample, escalate, prototype, accession, acquisition, archives, zealot, indict, verdict, intimidating, timid and 454 more...
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GRE
predilection, explicit, appeal, supplication, appealing, enchanting, ovation, pertinent, apropos, opportunely, applicable, germane and 381 more...
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Words-I-tend-to-forget
I have read them many times before and looked them up as well, and yet I forget their meaning. So, this list should collect them for me for revision.
glib, audacious, imminent, deflect, convention, calytrix, overbearing, regressive, condescending, crouch, impasse, agonistic and 11 more...
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Fancy Frills
Words I might not use in day to day language..
condescending, belligerent, antepenultimate, impasse, agonistic, decrepit, cathartic., Evanesce, dog ear, uber, gibber, audacious and 4 more...
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Favs
'nuf said
guffaw, pontificate, regalia, appease, sage, epitome, posit, dissipate, delineate, congruent, erroneous, braggadocio and 20 more...
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generationnext's Words
petulant, vehement, pensive, lascivious, vacillate, histrionic, satiated, svelte, lithe, zeitgeist, viscous, sommelier and 526 more...
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eggplantia5's Words
scintillate, marvel, cranberry, oscillate, triumph, bamboozle, grimace, magical, book, hexagon, cipher, compendium and 2727 more...
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Personal Vocabulary List
All my favourite words that I come across!
veritable, incongruence, rigamorole, letcherous, revolting, repulsive, reputrid, rapatious, forays, guise, placate, paradigm and 1162 more...
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The Sog Collection
My big word list.
chaos, flaccid, empirical, flotsam, cacophony, grumble, assuage, awe, romance, mortality, coalesce, fortuitous and 3282 more...
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colleen's words ii
sibilant, sundry, spindle, distaff, device, mortar, pestle, scythe, flail, thresh, frown, elementary and 495 more...
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newGRE
mostly from magoosh
imbue, verge on, nonchalant, deliberate, timorous, futile, provisional, dissect, checked, tinged, alluring, visionary and 1046 more...
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kid conversation starters
My kids and I often have great conversations about words. Sometimes, we wonder if a word is really a word; if it's being used correctly; its derivation; correct usage; etc. So many fine details for...
seeable, stereo, swam, misogynist, visible, went, condescending
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strieale's Words
scientism, chronological, christophobia, subsurface, high culture, jeffersonian demo..., jacksonian democracy, incommensurable, rebuttal, discerning, disparate, anodyne and 156 more...
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Expressions
(Facial)
pained, pitiful, reproachful, annoyed, dismissive, excited, eager, spiteful, contemptuous, passive, calm, nervous and 155 more...
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SAT PSAT ALPHABETICAL C
cabal, cache, cacophony, cadaverous, cadence, cajole, callous, callow, calumny, calvary, camaraderie, canard and 199 more...
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AP Rhetorical Devices
asyndeton, aphorism, polysyndeton, characterize, antagonist, antihero, audience, diction, foil, mood, motif, protagonist and 153 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for condescending.
DoubleH2 I had an English teacher who made a distinction between condescending and patronizing. She claimed that patronizing derived from patron, like a sponsor or an aristocratic "patron of the arts". From there she said that a person who is patronizing intends to be helpful, since a patron is a helpful position, whereas someone who is condescending is much more malicious. Not sure if I buy it though. Feb 29, 2012
sonofgroucho Some useful phrases here. Mainly applicable to the working environment I think. Dec 18, 2007
erinoftheyear My boss uses this word when he's describing himself. But he always seems a bit proud of it. I find it very creepy. Aug 15, 2007