# scorn
## English
### Etymology

Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-Germanic *skarnjan, which could be from *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).

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /skɔːn/
* (General American) IPA: /skɔɹn/
** Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)n

### Verb

scorn (third-person singular simple present scorns, present participle scorning, simple past and past participle scorned)
* (transitive) To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.
** c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 150:The Cry is ſtill, they come: our Caſtles ſtrength / Will laugh a Siedge to ſcorne
** 1871, C. J. Smith, Synonyms Discriminated:We scorn what is in itself contemptible or disgraceful.
* (transitive) To reject, turn down.
    He scorned her romantic advances.
** 1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, page 39:Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, / Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman ſcorn'd.
* (transitive) To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.
    She scorned to show weakness.
* (intransitive) To scoff, to express contempt.
** 1578–1579, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale. [...] Dedicated to the Right Honorable the Ladie Compton and Mountegle”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. Whereof the Next Page Maketh Mention‎, London: Imprinted for William Ponsonbie, dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Bishops head, published 1591, →OCLC:For miſerie doth braueſt mindes abate, / And make them ſeeke for that they wont to ſcorne, / Of fortune and of hope at once forlorne.

#### Usage notes

* This is a catenative verb which takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

#### Synonyms

* (to feel contempt): see also Thesaurus:despise
* (to scoff): deride, mock, ridicule, scoff, sneer

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Noun

scorn (countable and uncountable, plural scorns)
* (uncountable) Contempt or disdain.
** 1967, John Berryman, Berryman’s Sonnets, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux:Rain of tears, real, mist of imagined scorn
* (countable) A display of disdain; a slight.
** 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene vi], page 100, column 1:VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo.
** 1685, John Dryden, The Despairing Lover:Every sullen frown and bitter scorn / But fanned the fuel that too fast did burn.
* (countable) An object of disdain, contempt, or derision.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 44:13:Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

#### Usage notes

* Scorn is often used in the phrases pour scorn on and heap scorn on.

#### Synonyms

* See also Thesaurus:contempt

#### Derived terms

* laugh to scorn
* scornful

#### Translations
### References

* James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Scorn”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC.
* Roberts, Edward A. (2014) A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language with Families of Words based on Indo-European Roots, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN

### Anagrams

* Crons, corns