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
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.
Cite this Entry
“Denigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denigrate. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.
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