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to lower the physical, moral, or intellectual character of; to debase; to bring shame or contempt upon; to disgrace; as, vice degrades a man. O miserable mankind, to what fall Degraded, to what wretched state reserved! Milton. He pride . . . struggled hard against this degrading passion. Macaulay.

Low estimation; disesteem; contempt. [Obs.]

To laugh at with contempt; to laugh to scorn; to turn to ridicule or make sport of; to mock; to scoff at. And the Pharisees, also, . . . derided him. Luke xvi. 14. Sport that wrinkled Care derides. And Laughter holding both his sides. Milton.

One who derides, or laughs at, another in contempt; a mocker; a scoffer.

The act of deriding, or the state of being derided; mockery; scornful or contemptuous treatment which holds one up to ridicule. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Ps. ii. 4. Saderision called. Milton.

Contempt. [R.] Coleridge.

Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; as, a despicable man; despicable company; a despicable gift.

In a despicable or mean manner; contemptibly; as, despicably stingy.

Despicable; contemptible. [R.]

A despising; contempt. [R.] A despisal of religion. South.

To look down upon with disfavor or contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a low opinion or contemptuous dislike of. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov. i. 7. Men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them. Jowett (Thucyd. ).

Contemptuously.

Malice; malignity; spite; malicious anger; contemptuous hate. With all thy despite against the land of Israel. Ezek. xxv. 6.

Full of despite; expressing malice or contemptuous hate; malicious. -- De*spite"ful*ly, adv. -- De*spite"ful*ness, n. Haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters. Rom. i. 30. Pray for them which despitefully use you. Matt. v. 44. Let us examine him with despitefulness and fortune. Book of Wisdom ii. 19.…

Feeling or showing despite; malicious; angry to excess; cruel; contemptuous. [Obs.] "Despiteous reproaches." Holland.

To hate intensely; to abhor; to abominate; to loathe; as, we detest what is contemptible or evil. Who dares think one thing, and another tell, My heart detests him as the gates of hell. Pope.

reek Cynic philosopher (412-323 B. C.) who lived much in Athens and was distinguished for contempt of the common aims and conditions of life, and for sharp, caustic sayings. Diogenes' crab (Zoöl.), a species of terrestrial hermit crabs (Cenobita Diogenes), abundant in the West Indies and often destructive to crops. --…

A feeling of contempt and aversion; the regarding anything as unworthy of or beneath one; scorn. How my soul is moved with just disdain! Pope.

Disdainful. [Obs.] Revenge the jeering and disdained contempt Of this proud king. Shak.

Full of disdain; expressing disdain; scornful; contemptuous; haughty. From these Turning disdainful to an equal good. Akenside. -- Dis*dain"ful*ly, adv. -- Dis*dain"ful*ness, n.