condescending

UK/ˈkɔn.dɪ.sɛnd.ɪŋ/US/ˌkɑndəˈsɛndɪŋ/

adjectiveB2+Common in everyday speech and writing · #7,404 of 15,258leans spoken

Condescending means being kind in a way that makes clear you think you are superior. The compliment that is really a pat on the head.

The tone is what gives it away, since a condescending explanation is one that assumes you would not otherwise follow. It takes to. The word once meant simply stooping to somebody's level, and the disapproval has crept in over centuries, which is why older writing uses it as a virtue. Patronising is the near synonym in British English, and both are among the most stinging accusations you can make about manner.

Definitions of condescending

1adjectivecondescendingBehaving as though you are superior while appearing kind.B2+
“He has a condescending way of explaining things.”
synonyms: patronising

Practised in A Man Called Ove, Moods & Relationships

First appears in chapter 6 of A Man Called Ove.

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condescending in the wild

According to William Taylor's 1898 account, written in a colonial and often condescending tone, Egbere inhabit graves.
Egbere
Though he is well liked by his friends, he proves himself to be condescending and lacking in consideration for others.
James Steerforth
Laya speakers are also called Bjop by the Bhutanese, sometimes considered a condescending term.
Laya dialect
The use of condescending language "can derail conversations and, over time, disrupt healthy communities".
Condescension
In this way, the target (reader) is invited to share the condescending sentiment of the meme's author towards the criticized recipient.
Condescending Wonka

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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