as in condescending
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in cutting
to assume or treat with an air of superiority
a director with an unpleasant habit of patronizing even his most gifted actors
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in endorsing
to promote the interests or cause of
a company that loyally patronizes the arts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patronizing
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
Used in a patronizing context toward a rule follower, this trend is usually used to mock rather than compliment.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
4 Dec. 2025
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
But ultimately, there’s nothing more appealing than a straight guy who can genuinely queen out about the important things in life (the aforementioned celeb goss, duh) without zoning out or seeming patronizing.
—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patronizing
Adjective
Seidi Haarla is compelling as a woman at her wits’ end, running on fumes, but special mention must go to grown-up Harry Potter star Grint as the patronizing Jon.
—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
Used in a patronizing context toward a rule follower, this trend is usually used to mock rather than compliment.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
Trade school is often talked about as an alternative to a four-year degree, but the discourse can be patronizing, with jobs in construction framed as an off-ramp for the kids who can’t cut it in real college.
—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
But ultimately, there’s nothing more appealing than a straight guy who can genuinely queen out about the important things in life (the aforementioned celeb goss, duh) without zoning out or seeming patronizing.
—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for patronizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patronizing
Adjective
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Ahead of his team’s clash with Australia, Turkey captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu completely dismissed his opponent in a surprisingly honest and condescending assessment.
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Which bear is the most condescending?
Verb
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The lineup already was revving, as Rushing homered in the second inning while Sasaki was still in the game, and both Kyle Tucker and Muncy drove in runs off starter Randy Vasquez in the third, cutting the deficit to two.
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The Rockets essentially dumped Finney-Smith in a cost-cutting move after making some free agent transactions, notably signing guard Marcus Smart, and surrendered three second-rounders to the Hornets to seal the deal.
Verb
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In that election, the president made another last-minute entry for the three-term congressman, endorsing Feenstra four days before the election against Lahn, who edged out the win by less 1 percentage point.
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Supergirl, a more prominent character than usual, is badly damaged from the attempt, which does not feature Gunn writing or directing, only jubilantly endorsing what is an extremely subpar film.
Adjective
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Musk’s company has inked lucrative AI deals with Anthropic and Google and plans to be the domineering firm behind orbital data centers, which SpaceX has said could be deployed as early as 2028.
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Many figures within evangelicalism have promoted an aggressive, domineering, even abusive view of manhood—affixing to it, as Du Mez argues, the label biblical.
Verb
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Anthropic urges rapid government action against catastrophic risks, advocating for direct governance and third-party testing.
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The attorneys say Kil had spent years advocating for students and ensuring the university was inclusive.
Adjective
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Then Ryan played his part in achieving those goals Sunday, posting a dominant performance in New York.
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The Angels dropped their fifth straight and 11th in 17 games, while Gray’s six-game run of dominant quality starts continues despite an All-Star snub.
Verb
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In a recent interview on PEOPLE in 10, Chloe opened up about supporting Halle at a screening for her You, Me & Tuscany rom-com in April.
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Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie will be honored during ESPYS week in July with the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award for his work supporting the global autism community.
Adjective
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Amusingly enough, someone who was neither perplexed nor disdainful was a young cast member by the name of Stephen Colbert.
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His whole behavior toward women is so disdainful.
Cite this Entry
“Patronizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patronizing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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