Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scorn

/skɔɹn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.13 in modern English

Syllables: scorn
IPA: /skɔɹn/

7

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.

Transitive verb

verb

To reject, turn down with disdain.

Transitive verb

verb

To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.

Transitive verb

verb

To scoff, to express contempt.

Intransitive verb

noun

Contempt or disdain.

Uncountable

noun

A display of disdain; a slight.

Countable

noun

An object of disdain, contempt, or derision.

Countable

Example Sentences

"The Cry is ſtill, they come: our Caſtles ſtrength / Will laugh a Siedge to ſcorne"
"We scorn what is in itself contemptible or disgraceful."
"He scorned her romantic advances."
"Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, / Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman ſcorn'd."
"She scorned to show weakness."
"For miſerie doth braueſt mindes abate, / And make them ſeeke for that they wont to ſcorne, / Of fortune and of hope at once forlorne."

Etymology

Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-West Germanic *skarnijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”)), or possibly related to *skarną (“dung, filth”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱerd-, *(s)ḱer- (“dung, manure, filth”)). Noun from Old French escarn (cognate with Portuguese escárnio, Spanish escarnio and Italian scherno). Cognate with Middle High German schern (“joke, mockery, scorn”), Old English sċierniċġe (“female entertainer, juggler, actress”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: scornen, escharnir, *escarnire, *skarnijan, *skeraną, *(s)ker-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /skɔɹn/
British English: /skɔːn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

scorns (present, singular) scorning (participle, present) scorned (participle, past) scorned (past) scorns (plural)

Derived Forms

scornful

Phrases

laugh to scorn

Synonyms

contemn disdain despect disrespect despise disesteem look down on misrespect scorn spurn fleer flout

Rhymes With

born first-born porn worn corn horn torn warn sworn borne thorn mourn

Questions

How do you pronounce scorn?: The recorded pronunciation is /skɔɹn/.
What does scorn mean?: To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.
Where does scorn come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce scorn

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scorn”.
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