denigration

the act of making a person or a thing seem little or unimportant the unfair denigration of the social sciences by some people in the natural sciences Synonyms belittlement, depreciation, deprecation, derogation, detraction, diminishment, disparagement, put-downRelated Words aspersion, backbiting, calumny, defamation, libel, slander, vilification; derision, mockery, ridicule; abuse, invective, vituperation; censure, condemnation, criticism, denouncement, denunciation; de-emphasis, minimization, soft-pedalingNear Antonyms acclaim, praise; approbation, approval, blessing, commendation; hype, pufferyAntonyms aggrandizement, ennoblement, exaltation, glorification, magnification