condescending

/ˌkɒndɪˈsendɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːndɪˈsendɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkän-di-ˈsen-diŋ/ (ame, mw)

condescending — adjective

  • condescendingpositive
  • more condescendingcomparative
  • most condescendingsuperlative

1. Behaving towards another person in a way that signals you see yourself as smarte

1.形容詞C1
釋義

Behaving towards another person in a way that signals you see yourself as smarter, more skilled, or more important — often by explaining simple things in a slow voice, or by sounding polite in a way that feels fake and insulting.

例句

Karim hated his uncle's condescending smile whenever he asked a question about cars.

before noun: condescending + smile/tone/look

The new manager was condescending to anyone without a university degree.

predicative pattern: be condescending to + someone

同義詞
  • patronizing

    near-identical meaning; slightly more common in everyday speech

  • snobbish

    implies looking down on others because of class or wealth rather than knowledge

  • supercilious

    formal; suggests a cold, silent contempt rather than an explicit talking-down tone

  • haughty

    stresses proud distance and refusal to engage, less about explaining-down behaviour

反義詞
  • humble

    treats others as equals or as more important than oneself

  • respectful

    neutral opposite; shows regard for the listener's intelligence and feelings

文法句型

condescending to + someone

in a condescending tone/way/manner

用法筆記

Almost always negative. Subject is typically a person, voice, tone, smile, or attitude; rarely used of an action without one of those modifiers. Frequently followed by 'to + someone' or appears in the phrase 'in a condescending way/tone/manner'.

常見錯誤

❌She was condescending with the new staff.
✅She was condescending to the new staff.
💡the standard preposition is 'to', not 'with'.
❌He gave a condescending to me.
✅He gave me a condescending look.
💡'condescending' is an adjective, not a noun; it must modify a noun like look, smile, tone.