What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Contend vs Scorn - What's the difference?

contend | scorn |

As verbs the difference between contend and scorn

is that contend is to strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight while scorn is to feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.

As a noun scorn is

(uncountable) contempt or disdain.

contend

English

(Webster 1913)

Verb

(en verb)
  • to strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.
  • * Bible, Deuteronomy ii. 9
  • The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle.
  • * Shakespeare
  • For never two such kingdoms did contend without much fall of blood.
  • to struggle or exert one's self to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.
  • * Dryden
  • You sit above, and see vain men below / Contend for what you only can bestow.
  • to strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.
  • * John Locke
  • The question which our author would contend for.
  • * Dr H. More
  • Many things he fiercely contended about were trivial.

    Synonyms

    * struggle, fight, combat, vie, strive, oppose, emulate, contest, litigate, dispute, debate

    scorn

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.
  • * C. J. Smith
  • We scorn what is in itself contemptible or disgraceful.
  • To scoff, express contempt.
  • To reject, turn down
  • He scorned her romantic advances.
  • To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.
  • She scorned to show weakness.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Contempt or disdain.
  • (countable) A display of disdain; a slight.
  • * Dryden
  • Every sullen frown and bitter scorn / But fanned the fuel that too fast did burn.
  • (countable) An object of disdain, contempt, or derision.
  • * Bible, Psalms xliv. 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 .

    Quotations

    * circa 1605': The cry is still 'They come': our castle's strength / Will laugh a siege to '''scorn — '' * 1967', Rain of tears, real, mist of imagined '''scorn — John Berryman, ''Berryman's Sonnets . New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * scornful

    Anagrams

    *