patronizing

adjective
UK: /ˈpætrənaɪzɪŋ/
US: /ˈpeɪtrənaɪzɪŋ/

  1. Treating someone as if you are better or more intelligent than them.

    1. He was being patronizing to me.
    2. I hate the patronizing tone some teachers use when explaining simple concepts.

  2. Showing that you disapprove of someone or something, in a way that suggests you are better than them.

    1. Don't be so patronizing to me.
    2. Her patronizing attitude made it difficult to have a productive conversation.

Synonyms

haughty disdainful scornful superior condescending
patronizing verb

  1. To treat someone as if you are better or more intelligent than they are.

    1. He patronizing me all the time.
    2. The manager was patronizing his staff during the meeting about the project.

  2. To support or provide aid to someone or something, often an artist or organization.

    1. Many businesses are patronizing the event.
    2. The wealthy family started patronizing the local theatre to keep it afloat.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "patronizing" in English means: Treating someone as if you are better or more intelligent than them., Showing that you disapprove of someone or something, in a way that suggests you are better than them..

The phonetic transcription of "patronizing" is /ˈpætrənaɪzɪŋ/ in British English and /ˈpeɪtrənaɪzɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "patronizing": haughty, disdainful, scornful, superior, condescending.

Example usage of "patronizing": "He was being patronizing to me.". More examples on the page.