Look Down One's Nose at Someone Meaning & Usage

Meaning 1：show contempt (Look down one's nose at someone)

Look down one's nose at someone 🔊

/ˈlʊk ˈdaʊn wʌnz ˈnoʊz æt ˈsʌmˌwʌn/

phr.v.

to think you are better than someone and show it in a proud way.

Person looking down nose at someone with disdain

show contempt 🔊

➕

/ʃoʊ kənˈtɛmpt/

phr.v.

To treat someone with haughty disdain, displaying a belief that one is superior to them.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Combines 'look', 'down', 'nose'. Literally lowering nose; metaphor: contempt.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a snob tilting head back to see others down his nose. 'Look down nose' = act superior.

📖 Example

At the party, he got a promotion and started to look down his nose at the waiters, which made everyone uncomfortable. 🔊 At the party, he got a promotion and started to look down his nose at the waiters, which made everyone uncomfortable.

🔗 Collocations

look down one's nose at the poor – to show contempt towards impoverished people

look down one's nose at a suggestion – to dismiss a suggestion with disdain

look down one's nose at new ideas – to regard new ideas with superiority

🔄 Synonyms

look down on (phr.v.) – to regard with contempt or feeling of superiority

disdain (v.) – to feel contempt for something or someone

snub (v.) – to ignore or treat with disdain

🚫 Antonyms

respect (v.) – to feel admiration for someone

admire (v.) – to regard with approval and respect

look up to (phr.v.) – to have great respect for someone

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from the physical gesture of tilting the head back to look down one's nose, a universal sign of disdain. First recorded in English in the early 19th century.