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
Be careful not to denigrate their response, because this makes the situation worse.
—
Ryan Lahti, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Social media accounts that target and denigrate high-profile Twitch streamers (who are often women or people of color) were once relegated to the more obscure corners of the internet; now they’re pushed to the top of the X algorithm.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Recommending most investors just own an S & P 500 index fund — and suggesting individual stocks are too risky for most people — comes across as denigrating your abilities.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2025
His comments drew furious rebukes from his federal election rivals who accused him of denigrating the nation.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
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Ryan Lahti, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Social media accounts that target and denigrate high-profile Twitch streamers (who are often women or people of color) were once relegated to the more obscure corners of the internet; now they’re pushed to the top of the X algorithm.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
Recommending most investors just own an S & P 500 index fund — and suggesting individual stocks are too risky for most people — comes across as denigrating your abilities.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2025
His comments drew furious rebukes from his federal election rivals who accused him of denigrating the nation.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 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 25 May. 2025.
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