denigrate

verb

den·​i·​grate ˈde-ni-ˌgrāt 

denigrated; denigrating

transitive verb

1

: to attack the reputation of : defame

denigrate one's opponents

2

: to deny the importance or validity of : belittle

denigrate their achievements

denigration

ˌde-ni-ˈgrā-shən 

noun

denigrative

ˈde-ni-ˌgrā-tiv 

adjective

denigrator

ˈde-ni-ˌgrā-tər 

noun

denigratory

ˈde-ni-grə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

Did you know?

If you "denigrate" someone, you attempt to blacken their reputation. It makes sense, therefore, that "denigrate" can be traced back to the Latin verb denigrare, meaning "to blacken." When "denigrate" was first used in English in the 16th century, 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"), but this sense is somewhat rare in modern usage. Nowadays, of course, "denigrate" can also refer to belittling the worth or importance of someone or something.

Synonyms

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

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 an increasingly pluralistic society, legislators who denigrated ethnic or religious minorities or those with mental illnesses or disabilities found themselves on the outs. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

The Russian investments were followed by a systematic effort to denigrate Patriarch Bartholomew on hundreds of new Greek-language websites, blogs, and Facebook groups, an online offensive documented by Alexandros Massavetas, a Greek journalist, in his 2019 book, The Third Rome. —Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024

Those interviewed were also worried that the authorities might charge them under wartime laws against denigrating the military, which includes publicizing soldiers’ previous crimes. —Milana Mazaeva, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024

Here Of course, this isn’t meant to denigrate the immense undertaking that is bringing a period piece to life through costume. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024

The longtime McCain backer left the GOP and became an independent when Trump denigrated McCain for spending 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024

Dana Taylor: And quite a few commentators have noted that there's something, a little denigrating perhaps, about needing a white man, in this case, Luke Combs, to elevate a song and a discussion created by a black woman. —Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2024

The Irish were denigrated as lazy, as stupid, as incompetent. —Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024

Barnett had accused Boeing of denigrating his character and hampering his career. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin denigratus, past participle of denigrare, from de- + nigrare to blacken, from nigr-, niger black

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

denigrate

verb

den·​i·​grate

ˈde-ni-ˌgrāt

denigrated; denigrating

1

: to attack the reputation of : defame

2

: to deny the importance or validity of : belittle