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
den·i·gra·tion
ˌdenə̇ˈgrāshən
-nēˈ- sometimes ˌdēn-;
also ˌdēˌnīˈ-
plural -s
1
obsolete
: the act of denigrating
2
: a sullying of reputation or character : defamation, degradation
the denigration of man to his former animal level—
G. L. Steibel
G. L. Steibel
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
Verb
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
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 31 May 2026
As a result, the neo-Brandeisian network played an important role in promoting Lynn’s allies and denigrating competing candidates.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026
Anyway, there was a tendency by some people to focus on a person and deify them and denigrate the others.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 17 May 2026
Sportsbooks are constantly boasting about their protections and trying to denigrate those offered by competitors.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
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Verb
None of this is said to denigrate Slot, Liverpool’s decision-makers or the use of data in football recruitment.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 31 May 2026
As a result, the neo-Brandeisian network played an important role in promoting Lynn’s allies and denigrating competing candidates.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026
Anyway, there was a tendency by some people to focus on a person and deify them and denigrate the others.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 17 May 2026
Sportsbooks are constantly boasting about their protections and trying to denigrate those offered by competitors.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
Cite this Entry
“Denigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denigrate. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
denigrate
verb
den·i·grate
ˈde-ni-ˌgrāt
denigrated; denigrating
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