as in defamation
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
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Recent Examples of denigration
For me, this marks an early moment in the denigration of women.
—
Eana Kim, ARTnews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Nowhere is there the vitriol or denigration found in MAGA gatherings.
—Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
From the start, the denigration of the Iranian monarchy was at the center of the Islamic Republic’s official ideology.
—Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Trump is, of course, a man whose rise to power has been fueled by his denigration of people for being animal-like.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
The human costs of this are the increasing rates of illnesses and the financial costs of health care, lost productivity, and the compounding problems of further environmental denigration.
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Eana Kim, ARTnews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Nowhere is there the vitriol or denigration found in MAGA gatherings.
—Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
From the start, the denigration of the Iranian monarchy was at the center of the Islamic Republic’s official ideology.
—Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Trump is, of course, a man whose rise to power has been fueled by his denigration of people for being animal-like.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
The human costs of this are the increasing rates of illnesses and the financial costs of health care, lost productivity, and the compounding problems of further environmental denigration.
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denigration
Noun
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The complaint accuses Damon and Affleck, via their production company Artists Equity and the LLC Falco Productions, of defamation, defamation by implication and intentional infliction of emotional distress.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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Smith and Santana are seeking damages exceeding $75,000 for allegations of defamation and emotional distress.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Noun
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The most contentious and controversial being some very pointed criticisms of Ole Miss, his former school.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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At the same time, some of the party’s campaign committees in Washington quietly provide logistical support in some cases, while avoiding public criticism of the independent candidates even in some races where there is a Democratic nominee.—
Steve Peoples,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The country’s recent bombardment of Lebanon, killing thousands in response to Hezbollah strikes launched after joint US-Israeli strikes assassinated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also drawn widespread condemnation internationally.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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Bowie’s back-to-back conflicts with legislative aides have drawn quiet condemnation from some City Hall staff, who have questioned her handling of sensitive workplace situations while celebrating women, diversity and public service.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The contract contained a non-disparagement clause, and in law, the special thing about disparagement is that unlike defamation, the truth is not a defense against disparagement.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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And the Times Magazine suggested the idea of discovering a similar past disparagement clause to the one that plagued HBO might dissuade any network from tackling a future Jackson project.—
Steve Knopper,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to the arrest documents, McDaniel was detained in Monticello after officials reportedly received a child abuse complaint.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
Aghamiri was sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom in 2023 over human rights abuses linked to the crackdown on protests in Iran.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Apolline may embrace the social media aspects of her career but George’s belittlement rankles her.—
Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Along with beating on sales and earnings in each of its two operating segments, the company's operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margins also came in better than forecast.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
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Off the top of my head, and without looking it up, my recollection is that only the accelerated depreciation is taxed at 25%, and any depreciation that was claimed using a straight line method would be subject to the normal long-term capital gain rules and brackets, which could be 0%, 15%, or 20%.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Commercials that show more diversity in family groups and romantic partners, including same-sex couples and interracial families, may over time decrease the ridicule and discrimination experienced by those who are living in nontraditional family settings.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
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Many parents are afraid to go on the record against a school or coach for fear of retribution against their son or daughter, so for a teenager to go out on the limb and put himself up to possible ridicule was both stunning and courageous.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denigration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denigration. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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