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Of or pertaining to the Pietists; hence, in contempt, affectedly or demonstratively religious. Addison.

An exclamation of contempt.

To be pitied for littleness or meanness; miserable; paltry; contemptible; despicable. That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. Shak.

An exclamation expressing contempt or disgust; bah !

imate to the surface; to head; -- said of an abscess. To point at, to treat with scorn or contempt by pointing or directing attention to. -- To point well (Naut.), to sail close to the wind; -- said of a vessel.

Base; vile; contemptible; cowardly.

Pshaw! pish! nonsense! -- an expression of scorn, dislike, or contempt.

To make light of; to treat with derision or contempt, as if by saying pooh! pooh! [Colloq.] Thackeray.

times as a term of endearment, or as an expression of modesty, and sometimes as a word of contempt. And for mine own poor part, Look you, I'll go pray. Shak. Poor, little, pretty, fluttering thing. Prior.

A preacher; -- so called in contempt. [Obs.] Howell.

Mean; despicable; contemptible; -- used ironically; as, a pretty trick; a pretty fellow.

A tailor; -- so called in contempt. [Old slang] L'Estrange.

wealth, rank, etc., which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others. Those that walk in pride he is able to abase. Dan. iv. 37. Pride that dines on vanity sups on contempt. Franklin.

Priests, collectively; the priesthood; -- so called in contempt. [R.] Milton.

Empty talk; trifling loquacity; prattle; -- used in contempt or ridicule. [Colloq.] Abp. Bramhall.

Management by a proctor, or as by a proctor; hence, control; superintendence; -- in contempt. "The fogging proctorage of money." Milton.

The act of violating sacred things, or of treating them with contempt or irreverence; irreverent or too familiar treatment or use of what is sacred; desecration; as, the profanation of the Sabbath; the profanation of a sanctuary; the profanation of the name of God.

Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity; irreverent; impious. Hence, specifically; Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain; given to swearing; blasphemous; as, a profane person, word, oath, or tongue. 1 Tim. i. 9.

checks. Shak. They progress in that style in proportion as their pieces are treated with contempt. Washington. The war had progressed for some time. Marshall.

A familiar illustration; a subject of contemptuous reference. Thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a by word, among all nations. Deut. xxviii. 37.