patronizing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You can empathize with your friend without demonizing your own position or patronizing her by saying everything will be OK.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

Epstein had made donations to Krauss’ Origins Project, part of his larger patronizing of the sciences.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2026

While the guidance has the right intention, it can feel patronizing and constraining, some employees and observers say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 20, 2025

It’s patronizing, like something that would be said at a charity gala—and while well-meaning, potentially inadequate to a historically skeptical and cynical era.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2025

I now had more money than I had ever had before, and I began patronizing secondhand bookstores, buying magazines and books.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright