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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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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The high court order allows a lower court to consider dismissing his indictment.—
Mark Sherman,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Additionally, the judge took the rare and drastic step of permanently dismissing all legal claims brought by Brigandi’s client, San Diego resident Joanne Couvrette, against her brothers in the winery dispute.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The cast’s sole survivor is Jessica Hecht, who pours miraculous warmth and complexity into her faintly insulting role as Colleen, the head teller, a morally upright spinster goosed by her flirtation with Sonny and the spotlight.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
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Drawing parallels between this unpopular war and World War II is ludicrous and insulting.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The serum is formulated with a holy grail powerhouse that consists of a fortifying complex, firming complex, and Matrixyl 3000—all pivotal for minimizing signs of aging.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2026
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Maybe so, but there's no minimizing the impact of size this week in Indianapolis.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The epitome of narcissism, demeaning and denigrating others upon their deaths (John McCain, Rob Reiner) who’ve displeased him is nothing new, but the Mueller post sinks to a new low.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
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To emphasize that new technology can’t change bad behavior, Josh mirrors many of the same demeaning and destructive traits of showrunner Paulie G (Lance Barber), the antagonist of Seasons One and Two.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Blue Lagoon Cruises said pumpable fuel as well as other oils stored onboard the ship had been removed by Monday, diminishing environmental risks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
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But the distinctions between these visions of the world are diminishing.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
5 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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It is filled with articles criticizing America’s involvement in overseas wars.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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This includes Baldoni requesting his public relations representatives to amplify a video criticizing Lively as insensitive to domestic violence survivors.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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For Hildegard…women’s maternal bodies were not corrupting and degrading, but strong, nurturing, and creative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belittling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belittling. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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