Meaning & use
condescending
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Treating other people as less intelligent or less important than yourself, often in a patronizing tone.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after 'be'; often followed by 'to': condescending to the staff.
Patterns
- be condescending to someone
- a condescending tone
Her condescending tone made the interns feel foolish.
He gave a condescending smile when I asked a basic question.
Don't be condescending to people who are still learning.
Word forms
| comparative | more condescending |
|---|---|
| superlative | most condescending |
Common combinations
- condescending tone
- He explained it in a condescending tone.
- condescending attitude
- Customers hate a condescending attitude.
- condescending smile
- She gave a condescending smile and walked away.
- sound condescending
- I don't mean to sound condescending, but let me explain.
- condescending to
- The manager was condescending to junior staff.
Synonyms and how they differ
- patronizing
- Patronizing is almost identical but focuses on treating someone like a child, while condescending stresses looking down.
- superior
- Superior as a manner describes acting better than others but is less insulting.
- supercilious
- Supercilious is more formal and suggests haughty contempt, usually in facial expression.
- snooty
- Snooty is informal and about snobbery related to class or taste.
Opposites
Word family
- condescend verb
- to act in a superior way
- condescension noun
- the behavior of looking down on others
- condescendingly adverb
- in a superior way
Commonly confused: condescending or descending?
condescending vs descending
Descending means going down, but condescending describes an attitude of superiority.
Practice
The tutor's ___ tone made the students feel that their questions were silly.
Choose one answer.
Condescending means acting superior. Encouraging and enthusiastic would not make students feel foolish.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “condescending”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.