phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb
look down on
to consider inferior
What it means
To consider someone or something as inferior, less important, or less worthy of respect. It is inseparable and clearly negative — it describes an attitude of snobbery or disdain.
Words like “look down on” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- She felt her in-laws looked down on her because of her accent.
- Don't look down on people just because they have less money.
- He's always looked down on jobs that involve physical work.
- Some city dwellers look down on small-town life without ever trying it.
Where it comes from
A long-standing English metaphor where physical height represents social standing. Used in this figurative sense since at least the 1700s, especially in writing about class and snobbery.
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