condescend
condescend Lexical Profile
condescend Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To show feelings of superiority toward someone; to treat others in a patronizing or haughty manner.
"A good mentor explains complex concepts clearly without ever condescending to junior colleagues."
To do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity or social status, typically with reluctance or an air of superiority.
"The acclaimed director rarely condescends to give interviews to local tabloid reporters."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Condescend' is almost always used intransitively, followed either by an infinitive ('condescend to speak') or the preposition 'to' before a person ('condescend to the interns'). Historically, the word denoted gracious humility from a social superior, but in modern usage it carries a strictly pejorative connotation of arrogance.
• Rhymes for condescend
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 14th century from Old French condescendre, from Late Latin condescendere ('to stoop or let oneself down'), formed from com- ('together') and descendere ('to descend').