Contemptuous
Contemptuous adjective - Feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern.
Usage example: loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries
Malicious and contemptuous are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Malicious" instead an adjective "Contemptuous".
Malicious
Malicious adjective - Having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Usage example: the neighborhood chatterbox has again been spreading malicious gossip
Contemptuous and malicious are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Contemptuous" instead an adjective "Malicious".
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- mean and contemptuous
- mean and malicious
- cutting and contemptuous
- cutting and malicious
- offensive and contemptuous
- offensive and malicious
- hateful and contemptuous
- hateful and malicious
- scornful and contemptuous
- scornful and malicious
- sarcastic and contemptuous
- sarcastic and malicious
- abusive and contemptuous
- abusive and malicious
Both words in one sentence
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While we never get to see him in his role as a judge, he is malicious, bloody-minded, and openly contemptuous of the concept of rule of law.
Source: Film / Conspiracy - The First Doctor was a contemptuous and evasive Grumpy Old Man who liked to do Malicious Misnaming and could occasionally be really ruthless, and was usually very rude even to people he liked.
Source: Jerkass Woobie / Live-Action TV
Cite this Source
Malicious and Contemptuous. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/contemptuous/malicious
Contemptuous & Malicious. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/contemptuous/malicious>.
Malicious or Contemptuous. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/contemptuous/malicious.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "contemptuous" and "malicious" have occurred on timeline