belittlement

noun

Definition of belittlementnext
as in criticism
the act of making a person or a thing seem little or unimportant an unconscionable belittlement of his assistant in public

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belittlement During Season 10, a newly confident Batula — who seemed to despise Cooke from the first minute of the premiere episode — appeared to be poised to launch a triumphant post-divorce arc, free at last from Cooke’s belittlement and verbal abuse. — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 29 June 2026 Apolline may embrace the social media aspects of her career but George’s belittlement rankles her. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belittlement
  1. criticism
  2. denigration
  3. disparagement
  4. condemnation
  5. defamation
  6. abuse
  7. ridicule
  8. depreciation
Noun
  • The decision has also drawn criticism from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The conclusions are non-binding and face criticism, and the ultimate approval is up to the judge.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticism
Noun
  • Freedom, mobility; who gets to be an artist; style, ornamentation, artifice; work, leisure; the counterculture; the denigration of femininity; West Coast oddballism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • For me, this marks an early moment in the denigration of women.
    — Eana Kim, ARTnews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of denigration
Noun
  • Unsurprisingly, the disparagement of Congress is unrelenting.
    — Scott Warren, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That growth has been accompanied by disparagement from some sports fans, who gripe about the company’s scale and the quality of its products.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of disparagement
Noun
  • The film is admirably committed to documenting this lifestyle without much idealization or condemnation.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The comments drew swift condemnation from California leaders, even as the White House communications director, Steven Cheung, insisted the president’s remarks had been taken out of context.
    — Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemnation
Noun
  • Gibney has never been one to shy away from controversy, but even before Musk’s release, the film drew the ire of its subject and threats of a defamation lawsuit.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Conrad’s legal team includes Camille Vasquez, who was among the attorneys who represented actor Johnny Depp in his defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of defamation
Noun
  • In court Friday, Teymouri revealed additional information about past child abuse claims about the defendants and the conditions in the home.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The 2026 accusations stem from a call placed to police in Albuquerque by a University of New Mexico physician who examined the boys and alerted them to allegations of abuse.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of abuse
Noun
  • The lawsuit drew some ridicule from top executives, including at other companies, given the decline of cable TV and the rise of streaming, but the theatrical concerns were real.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Another example is ridicule and mockery of stingy or braggadocious individuals, which keeps greed and bravado in check.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of ridicule
Noun
  • The Albanian Manufacturing Association warned this week that nearly 150 garment factories have closed and roughly 25,000 jobs have been lost in recent years amid declining exports, high production costs, labor shortages and the euro’s depreciation.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Corporations also benefit from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act with their tax rates decreasing from 35% to 21% and even down to 15% when depreciation deductions were added.
    — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of depreciation

Browse Nearby Words

belittled
belittlement
belittlements
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Cite this Entry

“Belittlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belittlement. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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