as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
there's no need for belittling comments about your brother's trumpet playing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
belittled the action star's acting ability
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belittling
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2023
The boundaries revolve around disrespectful or belittling speech.
—Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 28 Sep. 2020
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Self respect/love is a strong virtue, tolerating belittling is toxic.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belittling
Adjective
Yet, since sometime before July 23, 2022, an anonymous user has been steadily updating IMDb’s trivia section on Corsage with hostile and belittling comments presented under the guise of background information.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2023
The boundaries revolve around disrespectful or belittling speech.
—Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 28 Sep. 2020
Verb
Pritchard is taking over for interim head coach Frank Reich, who replaced Troy Taylor in the spring after Taylor was dismissed for allegations of bullying and belittling staff.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Self respect/love is a strong virtue, tolerating belittling is toxic.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belittling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belittling
Verb
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After vacating the conviction, the judge took the additional step of dismissing the murder charge against Martinez, ending the criminal case against him entirely.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Before dismissing this activity or just trying to get through it, recognize your tendency to view nearly everything as a situation from which to extricate yourself as quickly and painlessly as possible.—
Charles Yu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For filmmakers who view their individual work as the center of gravity, this can sit somewhere between confusing and insulting.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
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Survivors rejected the offer, calling it insulting.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By identifying risks early, the care team at Saddleback Medical Center creates personalized care plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs, thereby minimizing complications and maximizing positive outcomes.—
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
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The higher threshold has prompted a shift in focus from minimizing federal estate taxes to lowering taxes on income and capital gains.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But this seems to Miss Manners both demeaning and not guaranteed of success.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Sweeney's storyline didn't sit right with fans, who have watched the actress undergo similar demeaning character arcs in seasons one and two.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Murray can breathe a sigh of relief that Nickeil Alexander-Walker left Minnesota for greener pastures in free agency last summer, diminishing the Wolves’ on-ball defensive firepower.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
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Opposition parties warn that basing constituencies on population could shift political power toward faster-growing northern states, while diminishing the parliamentary representation, seat share and overall influence of southern regions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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While Trump’s talk of a possible NATO pullout dates back years, the comments to The Telegraph newspaper in the U.K., published Wednesday, were among the clearest and most disparaging yet — suggesting that the fracture has deepened perhaps to a point of no return.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.—
Joe Garofoli,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor apologized Wednesday for publicly criticizing Justice Brett Kavanaugh over a ruling on immigration stops — and seeming to imply that her conservative colleague's views were shaped by an out-of-touch upbringing.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Victoria Beckham is speaking out about her family in the wake of her son Brooklyn Beckham's comments criticizing his parents earlier this year.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Cotton also gets softer with every wash instead of pilling or degrading — a durability advantage synthetic blends can’t match.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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Amnesty International has said that the use of the death penalty under the new measure could violate the right to life and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as enshrined in international law.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belittling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belittling. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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