🇬🇧 Condescend meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

To condescend means to treat someone like they are less important, less smart, or not as good as you. When you condescend, you talk down to people, as if they are little and you are very big and amazing. It’s like explaining something very simple in a slow, fake-nice voice because you think the other person isn’t clever enough to understand. People usually don’t like it when someone condescends to them, because it feels rude and disrespectful.

The ghost in the haunted house would condescend to visitors, whispering, "Boo… Is that the best scream you can do?"

Our dog seems to condescend to us when we throw the ball, giving us a look that says, "Fine, I’ll go get it, helpless humans."

My older brother likes to condescend and explain how to use a spoon, as if I haven’t been eating cereal my whole life.

The talking dictionary in my imagination loves to condescend, using giant words just to explain tiny ones.

My cousin likes to condescend when I play video games, saying, "Press the button with your finger" as if I normally use my elbows.

He would condescend to bend and smile, would condescend to touch her messy braid, would condescend to point at the crooked line, would condescend to speak slowly and loud, would condescend to fix the spilled paint. The girl flinched, then smashed the paper, stormed outside, and shut the door. He sat, ashamed, and watched.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

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