A noun denoting contempt or scorn, appearing in Esther's account of Queen Vashti's refusal to appear before the king. The royal counselors warned that Vashti's defiance would lead to widespread "contempt and wrath" as other women followed her example in resisting their husbands. The term captures the attitude of disdain and disrespect the counselors feared would spread. Paired with "wrath," it suggests both the internal attitude and the external conflict resulting from contempt.