looked down on

VERB

hold in contempt

Synonyms

WEAK

abhor contemn despise disdain scorn scout sneer spurn turn nose up at

Antonyms

WEAK

approve honor laud look up to praise

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.

Neighboring towns looked down on its working-class residents and the beat-up motels along Beach Boulevard, which cleaves the city in half.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

During the cloud disruption two decades ago, many incumbent enterprise software makers looked down on a host of new browser-based applications.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

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

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

“She looked down on people she didn’t agree with.”

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2025

The captain held a lamp and looked down on Mack.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck