disprezzato

Disprezzato is an Italian adjective and the past participle of the verb disprezzare, meaning to despise or to scorn. It describes someone or something that is held in contempt or considered of little value.

Grammatically, disprezzato agrees with the noun it modifies: disprezzato (masc. sing.), disprezzata (fem. sing.), disprezzati (masc. pl.), disprezzate (fem. pl.). It is used in predicative constructions with essere, as in era disprezzato or è stato disprezzato, to indicate that someone or something has been despised by others.

Etymology comes from dis- (a negation prefix) combined with prezzare, related to prezzo, meaning price or value. The term is connected to disprezzo, the corresponding noun for contempt.

Usage and nuance: disprezzato conveys a sense of social stigma, lack of esteem, or moral disapproval. In literature and journalism, it often marks a character, group, or object as scorned by others. While it can appear in older or stylistically marked texts as a noun phrase (for example, una persona disprezzata), more commonly it functions as a participial adjective.

See also: disprezzo, disprezzare.