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
Respecting, not denigrating the institutions designed to defend American democracy is one of the most important.
—
Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025
Superpower Weaponry One of the things that makes America truly exceptional throughout the world—its core principle of assimilating immigrants who strive for a safer, freer life—has been denigrated for the sake of short-term political gain.
—Penny Abeywardena, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The demonstration also instigated non-stop discussion by certain politicians and some members of the media, who spent weeks denigrating students, questioning their motives and accusing them of anti-semitism.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
The commission also wrote that Shore improperly denigrated the state Legislature while criticizing the Racial Justice Act.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
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Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025
Superpower Weaponry One of the things that makes America truly exceptional throughout the world—its core principle of assimilating immigrants who strive for a safer, freer life—has been denigrated for the sake of short-term political gain.
—Penny Abeywardena, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The demonstration also instigated non-stop discussion by certain politicians and some members of the media, who spent weeks denigrating students, questioning their motives and accusing them of anti-semitism.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
The commission also wrote that Shore improperly denigrated the state Legislature while criticizing the Racial Justice Act.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 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 2 May. 2025.
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