Synonyms

look down on

Idioms

Also, look down one's nose at. Regard with contempt or condescension, consider oneself superior to. For example, When it comes to baking, Beth is a purist—she looks down on anyone who uses a mix, or Seniors have a way of looking down their noses at juniors. The first expression dates from about 1700, the second from about 1900.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At times, the supreme leader has presented himself as almost above politics - looking down on the squabbling between Iran's reformists and conservatives.

From BBC

"Hollywood looked down on movies using computer graphic-made effects, but now it's handing the Oscar to Avatar."

From BBC

“To fly like C.C.? To look down on the Very, Very Far North from the sky? Oh, yes, I think that would be amazing.”

From Literature

Mama and Papa were young and proud, and to have people look down on them was almost more than they could stand.

From Literature

Warehouse manager Rachel Eyton said: "They look very cute. It's like the love gods were looking down on us just in time for Valentine's Day."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023