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
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
Trump continues to denigrate and distort American achievements in the service of his whacky devotion to destructive tariffs.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
The problem facing the NCAA was that, at the very same time its representatives denigrated gambling, the popularity of one of its most profitable products had begun to hinge on Americans’ insatiable appetite for betting.
— Made By History, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
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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
Trump continues to denigrate and distort American achievements in the service of his whacky devotion to destructive tariffs.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
The problem facing the NCAA was that, at the very same time its representatives denigrated gambling, the popularity of one of its most profitable products had begun to hinge on Americans’ insatiable appetite for betting.
— Made By History, TIME, 20 Mar. 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 22 May. 2025.
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