What does scorn mean?
Word: Scorn
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Scorn means a strong feeling that someone or something is worthless or foolish and does not deserve respect. As a verb, to scorn something is to refuse it proudly.
Synonyms: disdain, mockery
Antonyms: respect, admiration, praise
How do you spell scorn?
Syllables: scorn
Tricky part: It begins with sc, not sk. Students who hear the hard k sound often write skorn.
Watch out for: skorn, sckorn
Memory tip: Picture someone turning up their nose in scorn: the curved c curls beside the s like a curled lip, and there is no k.
Idioms and Phrases
- pour scorn on something: to say that an idea or plan is foolish and worthless Example: "The older boys poured scorn on our plan to build a raft, until it floated."
Scorn in a sentence
Example 1: The champion never looked at weaker players with scorn.
Example 2: Some people scorned the idea of a girls' cricket team, but the team won the district cup.
Example 3: There was scorn in her voice when she called the film boring.
Fun Fact
Scorn came into English from an Old French word, escarn, meaning mockery or a jeer.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Which of the following statements are true?
1. If you treat a plan with scorn, you think it is silly and not worth your time. 2. Envy is the feeling of wanting what another person has. 3. Pity is a feeling of great pride in yourself.
a) only 1 and 2
b) only 2 and 3
c) only 1 and 3
d) all three
Show answer
a) only 1 and 2. Pity means feeling sorry for someone, so statement 3 is false.
Spell Probe
Choose the meaning of the misspelt word in the given sentence:
The proud merchant looked at the farmer's humble gift with scorne, but the wise queen thanked him warmly.
a) having good sense and knowledge from experience
b) a proud feeling that something has no worth at all
c) a person who buys and sells goods, often in large amounts
d) not proud, and simple in size or value
Show answer
b) a proud feeling that something has no worth at all. Scorn has no e at the end; it finishes like born and torn.
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
sc_ _n
a) or
b) aw
c) oa
d) au
Show answer
a) or. Said with the r sounded, the vowel is the or of horn.
Sound Check
Which word rhymes with scorn?
a) pattern
b) modern
c) lantern
d) warn
Show answer
d) warn. Warn has the same long or sound and n ending as scorn; modern, pattern and lantern end in a weak -un.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Meena scorned the offer of help. What did she most likely say?
a) 'Can you help me tomorrow too?'
b) 'Thank you, that is so kind.'
c) 'I can manage perfectly well without you.'
d) 'Please show me how again.'
Show answer
c) 'I can manage perfectly well without you.'
2. A player who treats rivals with scorn is likely to ___.
a) sneer at their efforts
b) cheer when they score
c) shake their hands warmly
d) learn from their play
Show answer
a) sneer at their efforts
