denigrate
verb
den·i·grate
ˈde-ni-ˌgrāt 
denigrated; denigrating
1
: to attack the reputation of : defame
denigrate one's opponents
2
: to deny the importance or validity of : belittle
denigrate their achievements
Did you know?
The word denigrate has been part of English since the 16th century and can be traced back to the Latin nigrare, meaning "to blacken." When denigrate was first used, it meant "to cast aspersions on someone's character or reputation." Eventually, it developed a second sense of "to make black" ("factory smoke denigrated the sky"), representing an interesting case of a literal sense (now rare) following a figurative one. Nowadays, you’re most likely to hear denigrate used as a synonym of defame or belittle.
Examples of denigrate in a Sentence
Her story denigrates him as a person and as a teacher.
No one is trying to denigrate the importance of a good education. We all know that it is crucial for success.
denigrating the talents and achievements of women
Recent Examples on the Web
From social media to legacy media news stories to co-ed classrooms to streaming platforms to advertisements featuring only young women, young males today are bombarded with messages that denigrate their identity (‘toxic’) and question their relevance.
—
Andrew Reiner, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2025
This legislation would promote the St. Louis Cardinals and denigrate the Royals, who won two of three games last week at Busch Stadium.
Schroer, who is representing St. Charles County, is either making a joke or doesn’t seem all that interested in tackling the difficult decisions in the state.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2025
Educate don't denigrate More than two-thirds of baby boomers want the next generation of inheritors to receive financial education to manage their inheritances responsibly.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Some of Trump’s allies have claimed that Springsteen’s criticism of Trump is denigrating the United States.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
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Andrew Reiner, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2025
This legislation would promote the St. Louis Cardinals and denigrate the Royals, who won two of three games last week at Busch Stadium.
Schroer, who is representing St. Charles County, is either making a joke or doesn’t seem all that interested in tackling the difficult decisions in the state.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2025
Educate don't denigrate More than two-thirds of baby boomers want the next generation of inheritors to receive financial education to manage their inheritances responsibly.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Some of Trump’s allies have claimed that Springsteen’s criticism of Trump is denigrating the United States.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
Cite this Entry
“Denigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denigrate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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