Minachten

Minachten is a Dutch transitive verb meaning to regard someone with contempt or to hold someone or something in low esteem. It implies an active devaluation or disrespect, beyond merely lacking respect. The noun form is minachting, and the related adjective is minachtelijk or minachtend, used to describe contemptuous behavior or attitudes.

Etymology and meaning

Minachten originates from Middle Dutch and is composed of a prefix associated with smallness or diminution (min-) and achten, to esteem or regard. The core sense is to treat with scant regard or to despise. In modern usage, minachten can apply to people, ideas, actions, or institutions, often in moral, ethical, or evaluative contexts.

Usage and forms

Minachten is commonly found in formal, literary, or legal contexts, though it also appears in everyday speech when describing contemptuous behavior. It is typically used with a direct object: "iemand minacht" (to scorn someone) or "iets minachten" (to disdain something). The verb follows regular conjugation patterns: present tense ich minacht, jij minacht, hij minacht; wij minachten; jullie minachten; zij minachten. Past tense forms are minachtte (singular) and minachtten (plural), with the past participle geminacht, used in perfect tenses: "hij heeft geminacht."

Related terms

Synonyms include verachten and afzichtelijk beschouwen. The noun minachting denotes the feeling or state of contempt, while minachtelijk or minachtend describe characteristic or behavior that expresses contempt.

See also

Verachten, minachting, minachtelijk.

Note: In Dutch, minachten is more formal or literary than everyday speech, where verachten or afkeur commonly occur.