What is contempt? According to the explanatory dictionaries, this word means a feeling that has a negative connotation. Neglect is also contempt. The meaning of the word and all its semantic nuances are the topic of the article.
Morphology
What is contempt? This word is made up of the following elements:
- The root is zren.
- Prefixes "pre".
- The endings "ie".
The prefix gives the word a lexical coloring. In order to be convinced of this, it is worth comparing the meaning of such words as suspicion, observation, contempt, view . The listed lexical units have a common root, but different prefixes. A prefix is a significant part of a word that changes or supplements its meaning. The prefix “pre” can give a hint of elevation or improve the quality of action. In some cases, it is close in meaning to the prefix “through”.
What is contempt? This is one of the varieties of hatred. The word denoting this emotion is formed by adding a prefix synonymous with the “through” prefix. That is, contempt is the ability to look through or through something. However, in the texts this word is found in a slightly different meaning. The fact is that the meaning of a lexical unit in the process of language development undergoes significant changes.
For example: "He looked with contempt at other contestants." This proposal is about a man who considered the abilities of his opponents to be insignificant. The question of contempt, therefore, can be answered as follows: an opinion about someone or about something as an object that is not worthy of attention.
Gang words
Such tokens have a common root, but different prefixes and suffixes. Words with various prefixes were given above. Under the same root words also mean lexemes that have the same root and prefix, but are different members of speech. Examples:
- Contempt for people at a lower social level was its characteristic feature.
- Money is generally called despicable metal in the general sense of the term.
- Despising his weakness for himself, he gathered his will into a fist and broke all past ties.
- In all his movements and speeches there was servility and an unpleasant desire to please, while he talked about his person only in the third person, calling himself a " despicable serf".
- He could not even admit to his own contempt even to himself.
- And after these words, his gaze became even more contemptuous .
Co-root words are often close in meaning. For example, "contempt" in the meaning of little differs from the word "contempt."
Synonyms
Neglect can be directed at a person or some phenomenon (for example, contempt for weakness, wealth, prejudice). What is the meaning of the concept referred to in this article? A stronger feeling than dislike, but less strong than hatred, is a feeling called the term “contempt”. Synonyms for this word are contained in the examples below. Some of them have pleonasma. However, this is necessary to understand the stylistic and semantic difference between related concepts. Examples:
- With disdain, he ignored all sorts of rules and attitudes, about which the boss reminded him with enviable persistence every day.
- Father, despite his advanced age, felt neglect and contempt for illnesses, failures, and various everyday problems, and therefore continued his work even in the most difficult moments of his life.
- Since this woman found out the truth, indifference and contempt for her husband settled in her soul.
Phraseologism
What other examples can be given with the word “contempt”? The phrase, the meaning of which is not determined by the meaning of each of the components, is called phraseology in linguistics. With the word "contempt" in colloquial expression the expression "zero attention and a pound of contempt."
This phraseologism means the complete absence of any manifestations of attention, absolute indifference to the situation, which, it would seem, should cause emotions, emotional excitement. For example: "They say to her that if she does not pass the Latin language exam, she will be expelled, and she will have zero attention and a pound of contempt."
Antonyms
What feelings are the opposite of contempt? Respect, veneration, favor. In the following examples, there are antonyms for the word "contempt." A sentence with this word is better to supplement with a lexical unit, the opposite in meaning, for a better understanding. Examples:
- He had a feeling for her that was close to graciousness , and she felt an insulting contempt for him.
- The culture of this wild people was characterized by the worship of various deities, which were condoned by the conquistadors.
- She treated her husband's parents, as expected, with respect, but for five years of living in this house she earned only silent contempt .
Charity
“Contempt” is often confused with this concept. The meaning of the word “charity”, as well as its spelling, is different. In contrast to the structural unit of the language, the meaning and composition of which are discussed in this article, this concept has a positive connotation. Charity is care, custody. This noun is found, as well as other parts of speech, derivatives of it, mainly in classical literature.
Some examples are worth giving. Sentences also contain root words. Examples:
- Wounded soldiers were left without water, food, charity.
- “ Look upon the orphan,” the inscription at the entrance to the missionaries' house read.
- The old woman had no choice but to collect her meager belongings and go to the "House of Charity ".
Examples
“Contempt” is a word that occurs primarily in fiction. In colloquial speech it is rarely used. What definition did the classics give to this word?
Hugo called contempt a slap in the distance. The writer Anne-Sophie Brasm in one of the books stated that only indifference was worse than him. Modern author Begbeder believes that contempt for a once close person offends the one who experiences this feeling. But not only the French spoke of contempt. A. S. Pushkin, explaining Onegin’s pathological indifference, said that contempt is common to every thinking person.