disparage

verb

dis·​par·​age di-ˈsper-ij 

-ˈspa-rij

disparaged; disparaging; disparages

transitive verb

1

: to belittle the importance or value of (someone or something) : to speak slightingly about (someone or something)

disparaged his opponent

religious beliefs disparaged as superstition

… drew fire this month for disparaging the company's theme parks as "cheap day-care centers for teenagers" …

—Lisa Fickenscher

2

: to lower (someone or something) in rank or reputation : degrade

Mr Miles said changing the hospital's name was not designed to disparage the name or recognition of Lady Cilento.

—Lucy Stone

disparagement

di-ˈsper-ij-mənt 

-ˈspa-rij-

noun

disparager noun

Did you know?

In Middle English, to "disparage" someone meant causing that person to marry someone of inferior rank. Disparage derives from the Anglo-French word desparager, meaning "to marry below one's class." Desparager, in turn, combines the negative prefix des- with parage (meaning "equality" or "lineage"), which itself comes from per, meaning "peer." The original "marriage" sense of disparage is now obsolete, but a closely-related sense (meaning "to lower in rank or reputation") survives in modern English. By the 16th century, English speakers (including William Shakespeare) were also using disparage to mean simply "to belittle."

Synonyms

• dismiss
• minimize
• diminish
• criticize
• denigrate
• belittle

Choose the Right Synonym for disparage

decry, depreciate, disparage, belittle mean to express a low opinion of.

decry implies open condemnation with intent to discredit.

decried their defeatist attitude

depreciate implies a representing as being of less value than commonly believed.

critics depreciate his plays for being unabashedly sentimental

disparage implies depreciation by indirect means such as slighting or invidious comparison.

disparaged polo as a game for the rich

belittle usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude.

belittled the achievements of others

Examples of disparage in a Sentence

Voters don't like political advertisements in which opponents disparage one another.

It's a mistake to disparage their achievements.

The article disparaged polo as a game for the wealthy.

Recent Examples on the Web

One student told detectives that Clarke provoked the situation by making disparaging remarks at him. —Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025

The backlash has led to the removal or resignation of dozens of teachers and professors who allegedly disparaged Kirk or celebrated his death online. —Curtis Bunn, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2025

The show, which had run for more than two decades, was shelved indefinitely over a monologue addressing the murder of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk—one in which Kimmel did not disparage Kirk, nor, indeed, comment on him at all. —Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025

One of the most recent cases includes the high court’s 2017 decision in Matal v Tam, in which the justices ruled that a law preventing trademarks of disparaging terms was unconstitutional under the First Amendment. —Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to degrade by marriage below one's class, disparage, from Anglo-French desparager to marry below one's class, from des- dis- + parage equality, lineage, from per peer

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for disparage

• miscarriage
• remarriage
• intermarriage
• marriage

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Kids Definition

disparage

verb

dis·​par·​age dis-ˈpar-ij 

disparaged; disparaging

1

: to lower in rank : degrade

2

: to speak of as unimportant or not much good : belittle

disparaged the performance

disparagement

-mənt 

noun

disparaging adjective

disparagingly

-ij-iŋ-lē 

adverb