patronising

patronising — 形容詞

1. showing that you think someone is less intelligent, less capable, or less import

1.形容詞C1
釋義

居高臨下

自以為高人一等而瞧不起別人的態度

showing that you think someone is less intelligent, less capable, or less important than you — for example, by explaining simple things too slowly, using a tone of voice you would use with a child, or giving praise that sounds fake.

例句

Nikhil found his manager's explanation rather patronising, as if he had never used a computer before.

Nikhil 覺得主管的解釋相當居高臨下，好像他從沒用過電腦一樣。

find + something + patronising (opinion structure)

The article had a patronising tone that suggested young people cannot understand complex issues.

那篇文章的語氣很居高臨下，暗示年輕人聽不懂複雜的議題。

patronising tone (typical collocation)

同義詞
  • condescending

    the closest synonym; slightly more formal, both describe looking down on someone

  • superior

    focuses on the attitude of feeling above others but may not involve the dismissive treatment

  • dismissive

    emphasises rejecting or ignoring someone's views rather than talking down to them

  • snobbish

    focuses on social class or taste rather than intelligence

反義詞
  • respectful

    showing genuine regard for someone's abilities and feelings

  • humble

    not showing a sense of superiority; modest about one's own importance

文法句型

be patronising to someone

patronising + noun (tone/attitude/manner/smile/way)

find something patronising

it is patronising to do something

用法筆記

Commonly describes a tone of voice, facial expression (smile, look), or attitude. Also frequent in the structure 'it is patronising to + infinitive'. The adjective always carries a disapproving meaning; note that the verb 'patronise' has a second, neutral meaning ('to be a customer of a business'), but the adjective 'patronising' never does.

常見錯誤

❌His speech was very patron.
✅His speech was very patronising.
💡'patron' is a noun meaning a person who supports an artist or business; the adjective form you need is 'patronising'.
❌She was being patronising with the restaurant by eating there.
✅She was patronising the restaurant by eating there.
💡The adjective 'patronising' only has the condescending meaning; to talk about being a customer, use the verb 'patronise' without -ing.