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Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class VI. Words Relating to the Sentient and Moral Powers
Section IV. Moral Affections
2. Moral Sentiments

930. Contempt.

   NOUN:CONTEMPT, disdain, scorn, sovereign contempt; despisal [rare], despiciency [obs.], despisement [rare]; vilipendency [obs.], contumely; slight, sneer, spurn, byword; despect [rare].
  contemptuousness &c. adj.; scornful eye; smile of contempt; derision (disrespect) [See Disrespect].
  [STATE OF BEING DESPISED] despisedness.
   VERB:DESPISE, contemn, scorn, disdain, feel contempt for, view with a scornful eye; disregard, slight, not mind; pass by (neglect) [See Neglect]; look down upon; hold -cheap, – in contempt, – in disrespect; think nothing of, think small beer of [colloq.]; make light of; underestimate [See Underestimation]; esteem slightly, esteem of small or no account; take no account of, care nothing for; set no store by; not care a straw (unimportance) [See Unimportance]; set at naught, laugh in one’s sleeve, snap one’s fingers at, shrug one’s shoulders, turn up one’s nose at, pooh-pooh, “damn with faint praise” [Pope].
  sneeze at, whistle at, sneer at; curl up one’s lip, toss the head, traiter de haut en bas [F.]; laugh at &c. (be disrespectful) [See Disrespect]; point the finger of -, hold up to -, laugh to- scorn; scout, hoot, flout, hiss, scoff at.
  SPURN, turn one’s back upon, turn a cold shoulder upon; tread -, trample- -upon, – under foot; kick; fling to the winds (repudiate) [See Rejection]; send away with a flea in the ear [colloq.].
   ADJECTIVE:CONTEMPTUOUS, disdainful, scornful, withering, contumelious, supercilious, cynical, haughty, cavalier; derisive; with the nose in air, de haut en bas [F.].
  CONTEMPTIBLE, despicable; pitiable; pitiful (unimportant) [See Unimportance]; despised &c. v.; downtrodden; unenvied.
   ADVERB:CONTEMPTUOUSLY &c. adj.
   INTERJECTION:a fig for (unimportant) [See Unimportance]; bah! pooh! pshaw! never mind! away with! hang it! fiddledeedee!    QUOTATIONS:
  1. A dismal universal hiss, the sound of public scorn.—Paradise Lost
  2. I had rather be a dog and bay the moon than such a Roman.—Julius Cæsar
  3. As if I was next door’s dog.—Shaw
  4. This is my private hell.—Galsworthy
  5. There are many men who feel a kind of twisted pride in cynicism.—Roosevelt