patronizing
If you are patronizing, you tend to speak down to others, acting as though you are smarter, classier, or just plain better than anyone else. For the record, your snobby attitude is not impressing anyone.
A "patron" is someone who subsidizes or finances another person or organization — usually an artist or charitable institution. So the word patronizing stems from this idea of someone bestowing money or help on another. Today, the sense of condescension is strongly attached to the adjective, while the word "patron" is still a positive description of someone who gives.
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(used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescensionsynonyms: arch, condescending, patronisingsuperiorof or characteristic of high rank or importance
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Vocabulary lists containing patronizing
On the SAT, all of the Reading Test questions are multiple choice and are based on reading passages that may be taken from literature, science, the social sciences, or a U.S. founding document (or a text inspired by such a document). Many of the reading comprehension questions meant to assess a student’s understanding of those passages will require students to choose words that best describe the writer’s tone or point of view, words like the 25 words you see on this list. Learn them here so when you see them in an SAT answer choice, you’ll know what they mean! Following our Roadmap to the SAT? Head back to see what else you should be learning this week.
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