Condescending
adjective
Definition
1. (adjective) Showing that you think you are better, smarter, or more important than someone else — usually through tone of voice, word choice, or behaviour.
Context Alive
You're at a family dinner explaining your new job to your uncle. He listens for a moment, then smiles and says, "That's cute, dear — but do you really understand how the real world works?" His tone is soft but the message is clear: he doesn't take you seriously. You feel your face go red and decide to stop talking. He keeps smiling, completely unaware of how condescending he just sounded. The rest of the dinner you stay quiet and pick at your food, telling yourself you'll never bring up work in front of him again.
Meanings
1 meanings
1
Looking Down on Others (Adjective)
Very Common
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This meaning is about behaving in a way that suggests you think you're superior to the person you're talking to — even if you don't say it directly. Imagine a senior colleague who keeps explaining basic computer steps to you slowly, as if you've never used a laptop before — that's a classic condescending attitude. This is describing the kind of behaviour that makes people feel small without anyone shouting or being openly rude. You might say "don't be so condescending" to a friend who's lecturing you about something obvious, or someone could call a teacher "condescending" for talking to adult students like they're children. Or picture a man in a meeting who pats his female colleague on the shoulder and says, "Good try, sweetheart" — everyone notices how condescending that sounds. The word suggests a quiet kind of arrogance that's wrapped in politeness, which is what makes it especially annoying.
✏️ Condescending is the perfect word for that feeling when someone is technically being polite but clearly looking down on you. Tone matters — the same words can be friendly or condescending depending on how they're delivered. Common signs: oversimplifying, explaining things you already know, calling adults "sweetie" or "buddy," or the famous slow nod and "that's nice." The verb form condescend exists too, but the adjective is far more common in daily speech.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
be condescending → behaving in a superior way
Stop being so condescending — I know how to use a microwave.
sound condescending → having a tone that suggests superiority
I didn't mean to sound condescending, sorry if it came across that way.
a condescending + noun → describing tone, attitude, smile, etc.
She gave me a condescending smile and walked off.
Common Structures
condescending tone → the most common collocation
His condescending tone made everyone in the room uncomfortable.
condescending towards + someone → looking down on a specific person or group
He's always condescending towards interns.
find someone condescending → perceiving someone as superior in attitude
Most of the team found the new manager condescending.
Collocations
10 collocationscondescending tone
a way of speaking that sounds superior
condescending smile
a smile that suggests "how cute that you tried"
condescending attitude
a general manner of looking down on others
condescending remark
a comment that puts the listener down
condescending look
a facial expression of superiority
condescending voice
vocal delivery that sounds patronising
deeply condescending
very strongly superior in manner
slightly condescending
mildly patronising
sound condescending
to come across as superior
find someone condescending
to perceive someone as superior
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
She has a condescending way of explaining things, like she's talking to a child.
Her style of explaining is patronising, as though she's addressing a young kid.
2
Don't be so condescending — I've worked in this industry for ten years.
Stop talking down to me — I've spent a decade in this field.
3
His condescending tone in the meeting offended several of the junior staff.
His patronising voice during the meeting upset several of the new employees.
4
She gave me a condescending smile when I said I'd never been to Paris.
She offered me a superior-looking smile after I admitted I'd never visited Paris.
5
The professor was knowledgeable but came across as condescending to first-year students.
The lecturer knew his subject well but seemed patronising towards freshers.
6
I find his constant explanations condescending, even though he probably means well.
His non-stop explaining feels patronising to me, although his intentions are likely good.
7
He apologised after realising his comment had sounded condescending.
He said sorry once he understood that his remark had come across as patronising.
8
The customer service rep was polite but slightly condescending on the phone.
The support agent was courteous but a bit patronising during the call.
9
Nothing annoys me more than a condescending nod from someone who isn't really listening.
Few things irritate me as much as a patronising head-nod from someone who isn't paying attention.
10
She left the relationship because he had become increasingly condescending over the years.
She ended the relationship as he had grown more and more patronising with time.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymspatronising
very close in meaning, often interchangeable
snobbish
more about social class superiority
superior (in manner)
more general, suggests acting better than others
Antonymshumble
showing no sense of superiority
respectful
treating others as equals
modest
not making others feel less than you