patronize
Definitions
To treat someone in a way that seems kind but reveals a feeling of superiority; to talk down to.
屈尊俯就地对待；居高临下地对待。
To be a regular customer of a shop, restaurant, or business.
经常光顾，惠顾。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpatron (fatherly protector) + -ize (to act as) = to behave like a patron. Two faces: the good one (to support a business by being its customer) and the bad one (to act the superior father — kind on the surface, condescending underneath).
Root patr still carries 26 more wordsWhy It Means This
The negative sense, far more common today, grows straight out of the father metaphor: a father protecting a child can easily slide into treating an adult like a child. That is exactly what "don't patronize me" objects to — being managed and talked down to as if incompetent.
Usage Guide
BrE often spells it patronise. The two senses are told apart by context and tone: "He patronized the local bakery for years" (customer) vs "Stop patronizing me" (condescending). The condescending sense is now the default in everyday speech.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Don't patronize me — I understand the situation perfectly well.
- 2.
He has a habit of patronizing younger colleagues.
- 3.
The family has patronized that restaurant for three generations.