To refer ~ to someone or something means to refer to them in a way that shows your contempt for them. (WRITTEN)
They were ~ dismissive.
ADV
To refer ~ to someone or something means to refer to them in a way that shows your contempt for them. (WRITTEN)
They were ~ dismissive.
ADV
Collins COBUILD. Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) . 2012