Contempt

Filed under Complex & secondary emotions · List of Human Emotions editorial team

Contempt is the emotion of regarding a person or group as inferior or unworthy of respect. Often described as a blend of anger and disgust, contempt arises when an individual perceives another as beneath moral consideration or social standing. The emotion carries a distinctive physical signature: a characteristic facial expression involving a unilateral lip raise or sneer, typically on one side of the mouth. This recognisable nonverbal signal is consistent across cultures and contexts, prompting some researchers to propose contempt as a candidate basic emotion alongside anger, fear, and sadness.

Contempt functions as a social emotion, communicating judgment and moral disapproval to others. While certain researchers have argued for its classification as a fundamental emotion based on its clear facial marker, it is more widely treated within psychology as a complex social emotion shaped by cultural norms and interpersonal dynamics. The emotion typically emerges in contexts where power imbalances or perceived moral violations are present.

The relational impact of contempt is significant. In close relationships, repeated expressions of contempt have been identified as a strong predictor of conflict escalation and relationship dissolution. This corrosive quality makes contempt particularly influential in determining the trajectory of intimate partnerships and social bonds. Understanding contempt as both an individual emotional experience and a social signal offers insight into how emotional expression shapes interpersonal outcomes.

Sources: Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Robert Plutchik) — overview; American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.

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