The Hebrew noun buzah means contempt, scorn, or something despised and treated as worthless. Related to the verb buz (to despise), it describes the experience of being held in low esteem or treated with disdain — whether by enemies or, in the prophets, the experience of Israel among the nations.
The concept of buzah (contempt) appears in the context of covenant failure and exile. Nehemiah 3:36 and Psalm 123:3-4 describe the contempt God's people experienced among the nations during times of weakness and judgment. Yet the prophets promise reversal: the one who was held in contempt will be vindicated. Isaiah 53's Servant — held in contempt and despised — becomes the one through whose exaltation all contempt is ultimately overcome.