CEFR B1

look down

phrasal verb

Meaning

To consider someone or something as inferior or less important than oneself.

Examples

It is unfair to look down on people just because they have a different educational background.
He tends to look down on anyone who does not share his specific taste in literature.

Synonyms: disdain, despise, snub, belittle

Learn English that separates you from the crowd with Anaversity: private classes, Ani practice, Campus tools, and a public English-learning community.

look down (B1)

phrasal verb

Pronunciation: /lʊk daʊn/

Definition

To consider someone or something as inferior or less important than oneself.

Examples

It is unfair to look down on people just because they have a different educational background.
He tends to look down on anyone who does not share his specific taste in literature.
She never looked down on her colleagues, regardless of their rank in the company.

How to Use look down

look down on (phrasal verb): To view someone as inferior. — "Do not look down on those who are struggling."
look down upon (phrasal verb): A slightly more formal variant of 'look down on'. — "He felt they looked down upon his humble origins."

Synonyms of look down

Words with a similar meaning to look down:

Antonyms of look down

Words with the opposite meaning to look down:

Browse the full Anaversity dictionary