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
Grok has also been used to generate images that denigrate people on the basis of their race or ethnicity.
—
Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
Those who despise Bacharach’s fluting tunes and David’s simple — if emotive — lyrics, consigning them to often denigrated genres such as easy listening, elevator music, adult contemporary or luxe pop.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the audience for mainstream media has been falling for years, and public trust in traditional journalists is at historic lows, amplified by political figures who make denigrating journalists part of their brand.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
People had been denigrating her game all season long, but Kristina Mills had her final-three speech all ready.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
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Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
Those who despise Bacharach’s fluting tunes and David’s simple — if emotive — lyrics, consigning them to often denigrated genres such as easy listening, elevator music, adult contemporary or luxe pop.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the audience for mainstream media has been falling for years, and public trust in traditional journalists is at historic lows, amplified by political figures who make denigrating journalists part of their brand.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
People had been denigrating her game all season long, but Kristina Mills had her final-three speech all ready.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 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 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
denigrate
verb
den·i·grate
ˈde-ni-ˌgrāt
denigrated; denigrating
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