Word of the Day: disdainful

The word disdainful has appeared in 26 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on May 27 in the book review “My Father the Frustrated Artist” by Christopher Sorrentino:

A career employee with Italy’s state railway, Federì is convinced that he’s financially exploited by his in-laws, stuck with a woman who is “not good enough,” and above all snubbed by a clubby art establishment, which he’s convinced is disdainful of his working-class status and envious of his talent.

Whatever else he may be, Federì is neither delusional about his gifts nor a casual dabbler. (The book’s dust jacket reproduces “The Drinkers,” an impressive painting whose exacting creation by the author’s real-life father is recounted in the text.) It isn’t hard to identify with Federì’s frustration as he’s insulted by critics and peers, excluded from exhibitions, deprived of prizes and ultimately forgotten, his paintings moldering for years on municipal-office walls where they barely register with the bored civil servants working beneath them.

Daily Word Challenge

Can you correctly use the word disdainful in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how disdainful can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.