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
In retirement, Barnett sued Boeing, alleging that the company had denigrated his character and blocked his career advancement during his employment—charges Boeing denies.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 13 June 2025
At the same time, Trump routinely denigrates democratic allies and international institutions such as the United Nations and NATO.
—Daniel Treisman, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
This is not meant to denigrate or mock Lamoriello, whose ways worked extraordinarily well for a longer period of time than just about any executive in sports history.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
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Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 13 June 2025
At the same time, Trump routinely denigrates democratic allies and international institutions such as the United Nations and NATO.
—Daniel Treisman, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
This is not meant to denigrate or mock Lamoriello, whose ways worked extraordinarily well for a longer period of time than just about any executive in sports history.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
Cite this Entry
“Denigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denigrate. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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