Definition
to treat with apparent kindness that conceals condescension
In a sentence
“Don't patronize me; I'm not a child.”
Similar words
- condescend
- talk down
Related vocabulary
Why this word matters: patronize appears in academic reading at the 8th-grade level and is exactly the type of word that shows up on the CPS HSAT Reading section. Practice it in context with our spaced-repetition system at vocabulary.