belittle

verb be·lit·tle \ bi-ˈli-tᵊl , bē- \

Definition of belittle

belittled; belittling play \bi-ˈli-tᵊl-iŋ, -ˈlit-liŋ, bē-\

transitive verb

1 :to speak slightingly of :disparage

belittles her efforts

2 :to cause (a person or thing) to seem little or less

a curiosity so vast that it almost belittled the main matter
—Mark Twain

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belittlement

play \-ˈli-tᵊl-mənt\ noun

—

belittler

play \-ˈli-tᵊl-ər, -ˈlit-lər\ noun

See belittle defined for English-language learners

See belittle defined for kids

Examples of belittle in a Sentence

The critic belittled the author's work.
Her detractors are in the habit of belittling her accomplishments.

Recent Examples of belittle from the Web

Rosen didn't belittle the many academic accomplishments of Alabama football players, including the nine who received their undergraduate degrees in May and the five who did so last weekend.

— kevin scarbinsky, AL.com, "Instead of hating Josh Rosen for that Alabama crack, thank him for sparking a needed debate," 12 Aug. 2017
Never before has a cabinet secretary been publicly belittled in an ongoing campaign of humiliation by the president who appointed him.

— rich lowry, National Review, "Trump Family Values," 28 July 2017
Not forgetting the big board of fossilized white men belittling everyone.

— heather havrilesky, The Cut, "Ask Polly: I Hate All Jobs!," 26 July 2017
More than once, she was reduced to tears of frustration at being excluded and belittled—on one occasion even in a cabinet meeting.

— kati marton, Vogue, "How Angela Merkel Became the Most Powerful Woman in the World," 18 July 2017
This isn’t to belittle his playing exploits whatsoever.

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "Here’s to another year of Manu Ginobili’s receding hairline," 18 July 2017
Per the New York Times: The Chamber of Commerce and other pro-business groups have belittled the rule as nothing more than a gift to class-action lawyers, who tend to be Democratic donors.

— vanityfair.com, "Is Jared Kushner Punishing Qatar Over a Soured Real-Estate Deal?," 10 July 2017
This is not to belittle the profound influence of Havana being a port, with all the amenities necessary to sailors: booze, gambling, and prostitution.

— peter lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Havana' probes the mysteries and magic of the Cuban capital," 5 July 2017
Jackson then poisoned the relationship by publicly belittling Anthony, who, if nothing else, was a good soldier.

— john smallwood, Philly.com, "A life in NBA did not qualify Phil Jackson to run Knicks | John Smallwood," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'belittle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of belittle

1785

belittle Synonyms

Synonyms

bad-mouth, decry, cry down, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, diminish, dis (also diss) [slang], discount, dismiss, disparage, kiss off, minimize, play down, poor-mouth, put down, run down, talk down, trash, trash-talk, vilipend, write off

Antonyms

acclaim, applaud, exalt, extol (also extoll), glorify, laud, magnify, praise

Related Words

discommend; abuse, scold; disapprove (of), dislike; censure, condemn, criticize, denounce, reprehend, reprobate; asperse, defame, malign, rip, slander, slur, traduce, vilify; discredit, disgrace

Near Antonyms

approve, countenance, endorse (also indorse), favor, recommend, sanction; commend, compliment, eulogize

Synonym Discussion of belittle

decry, depreciate, disparage, belittle mean to express a low opinion of. decry implies open condemnation with intent to discredit.

- decried their defeatist attitude

depreciate implies a representing as being of less value than commonly believed.

- critics depreciate his plays for being unabashedly sentimental

disparage implies depreciation by indirect means such as slighting or invidious comparison.

- disparaged polo as a game for the rich

belittle usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude.

- belittled the achievements of others

BELITTLE Defined for English Language Learners

belittle

verb

Definition of belittle for English Language Learners

: to describe (someone or something) as little or unimportant

BELITTLE Defined for Kids

belittle

verb be·lit·tle \ bi-ˈli-tᵊl \

Definition of belittle for Students

belittled; belittling

:to make (a person or a thing) seem small or unimportant She belittled his efforts.

Learn More about belittle

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for belittle Spanish Central: Translation of belittle Nglish: Translation of belittle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of belittle for Arabic speakers

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Examples of belittle in a Sentence

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First Known Use of belittle

belittle Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of belittle

BELITTLE Defined for English Language Learners

belittle

Definition of belittle for English Language Learners

BELITTLE Defined for Kids

belittle

Definition of belittle for Students

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