denigrative

adjective

Definition of denigrativenext
as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value thanked her for the gift and then added the denigrative aside, "Not that it's anything special!"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for denigrative
  1. insulting
  2. malicious
  3. critical
  4. degrading
  5. abusive
  6. demeaning
  7. contemptuous
  8. derogatory
Adjective
  • Even instances of heckling at games – over performance on the court – felt good-natured, rather than insulting.
    — Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The adventures of Addison’s titular shilling include being hoarded, offered as a bribe, and sent as an insulting accompaniment to a letter disinheriting a son.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • After engaging with the box, the user sees a line of text, often obscured in a way to mask any malicious commands.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The rap star has a malicious prosecution case pending against the lawyer in federal court in New York.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • And although there were some critical mistakes from Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway, the new Baylor QB made big-time throws, showed grit while playing through injury and had the Bears in position to win in the final moments.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • GlobalFoundries and Monarch Quantum will give the company domestic manufacturing partners for two critical parts of its systems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of critical
Adjective
  • The beating can look degrading, but the check might protect opportunities for hundreds of athletes who never appear in the game.
    — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • By suggesting that Black women would willingly place their own children in mortal danger for profit, such narratives provided yet another means of humiliating, degrading and dehumanizing African Americans.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of degrading
Adjective
  • Many viewers left that film unconvinced Rockwell’s abusive cop deserved the redemption he was given.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Reminiscent of the discussions around Michael Jackson’s upbringing, this Lanterns episode has sparked specific conversations about parenting Black boys and children into greatness, and what actions constitute abusive or unhealthy parenting.
    — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • By demeaning and alienating most people, Capps predicted, the Christian right wing was planting the seeds of its own demise.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The consulting partner who learned precision was never demeaning.
    — Mark Nevins, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of demeaning
Adjective
  • The Larson campaign became openly contemptuous of Bronin at the May convention.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • The man didn’t catch Serena’s contemptuous expression, however, too busy peeling bills from a money clip and pressing them into his date’s hand.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of contemptuous
Adjective
  • The complaint alleges that, in June 2025, an attorney with the Reinken firm sent a photo of Goff to the group chat and made derogatory comments about her.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Cunningham had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend, the victim said, and got angry after others, including him, asked Cunningham to stop talking about her in derogatory terms, documents state.
    — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of derogatory
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.

Browse Nearby Words

denigrations
denigrative
denigrator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Denigrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denigrative. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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