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Distain vs Scorn - What's the difference?

distain | scorn |

As verbs the difference between distain and scorn

is that distain is (rare) to stain, discolour or tarnish 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.

distain

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (rare) To stain, discolour or tarnish

    • 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

    *