patronize
/ˈpatrənʌɪz
/(also patronise)
verb [with object]
1 (often as adjective patronizing) Treat with an apparent kindness which betrays a feeling of superiority: ‘She’s a good-hearted girl,’ he said in a patronizing voice...
- Despite the superior and patronizing tone of his voice, there was a deep concern.
- Removing responsibility from victims is not a kindness; it is patronizing and perpetuates the problem.
- These last shots betray a sentimentality and patronizing attitude inherent in the film's setting.
Synonyms
treat condescendingly, treat with condescension, condescend to, look down on, talk down to, put down, humiliate, treat like a child, treat as inferior, treat with disdain, treat scornfully/contemptuously, be snobbish to, look down one's nose at
condescending, supercilious, superior, imperious, haughty, lofty, lordly, magisterial, disdainful, scornful, contemptuous, cavalier, snobbish, pompous
informal uppity, high and mighty, snooty, stuck-up, fancy-pants
British informal toffee-nosed
2Frequent (a shop, restaurant, or other establishment) as a customer: he’s a denizen of flashy pubs patronized by the underworld...
- Some customers patronize the store every two or three months; some of the very top spenders come in three to five times a week.
- In the ad, a father tries to explain to his son why no customers patronize the family restaurant, which mainly sells pork meat-ball soup.
- People who do not travel into cities to work are much less likely to patronize restaurants, theatres and shops.
Synonyms
do business with, buy from, shop at, be a customer of, be a client of, bring trade/custom to, deal with, trade with;
frequent, haunt, attend, visit;
subscribe to, join, become a member of, support
informal hang out at
3Give financial or other support to (a person, organization, or cause): she patronizes worthy causes...
- Opposite this building was the Alexandra Tea Room, at 18 Rissik Street, which Gandhi used to patronise and support financially, and where he promoted vegetarianism.
- Is it really the type of organization you should be patronizing?
- Members create, finance and patronize the cooperative.
Synonyms
sponsor, back, fund, finance, be a patron of, promote, further, foster, help, aid, assist, support, encourage, champion, protect
Derivatives
patronization
- This is a display of nauseating deference; a offensive patronization of the man matched only by his undeserved canonisation.
- France, more so Paris, is known for appreciation and patronisation of finer things of life.
- She looks down at me, sympathetic with a hint of patronization.
patronizer
/ noun ...- As parties, they're all the same to me now: populists, cynics, game-players and patronisers of one sort or another.
- The organising committee might just wonder whether it is worth the aggravation sending some of its patronisers to the doghouse.
patronizingly
/ adverb ...- Here, he smiles patronizingly and thinks for a minute, and says ‘Are you out here all the time?’
- ‘I'm your worst nightmare, love’ I said as patronizingly as possible.
- And this sounds so patronizingly middle class of me, but that's not how I mean it.
- someone's (or something's) days are numbered
- someone's (or the) best plan
- someone's tongue is hanging out
- someplace
- somersault
- Somerset
- Somerville
- somesthetic
- something
- something else
- something fierce
- something for the weekend
- something is up
- something like
- something nasty in the woodshed
- something of
- something of the kind
- something or other
- something speaks for itself
- something would not go (or come) amiss
- sometime
- sometimes
- someway
- somewhat
- somewhat of