The word condescension has appeared in 49 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Nov. 7 in the book review “He Believes He’s Been Reincarnated. Here’s His Tale of Life, Love and Fate” by Helen Simonson:
It is “the most beautiful of all possible worlds,” a chapter heading proclaims at the beginning of Jonathan Evison’s new novel, “Again and Again.” But it’s easy to doubt this cheerful echo of “Candide” as we are introduced to the book’s protagonist, Eugene Miles, a centenarian curmudgeon living in an elder-care facility in the California desert who insists — a bit too loudly and often — on his desire to be left alone to await death.
It’s a tricky thing to write a crotchety old person, and pretty soon the reader wonders what sort of redeeming qualities will make it desirable to spend time in Eugene’s presence. He is mean to the facility’s staff members, who he concedes are cheerful but “most speak to me with that cloying condescension of the sort one might employ with a toddler or a puppy.” And he disdains his fellow residents, such as Irma, who he says smells of “wilting gardenias and the inside of pill bottles.”
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word condescension in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.
If you want a better idea of how condescension can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.
