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
  • His short, curt answers, or nonanswers are comedy for some, arrogant or insulting to others, especially when fans want an explanation for one of his decisions.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Nov. 2026
  • But to propose trading him for anything short of a fourth-round pick is insulting.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Authorities have described the more than two dozen threats as malicious hoaxes, and no actual attacks have been carried out.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Iran has been linked to at least one incident in Israel earlier in the spring, though that breach involved a lot more sophistication and malicious activity.
    — Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • Maine was seen as critical to Democrats’ path to the Senate majority this fall and remained one of the most expensive states in terms of advertising spending.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Zelenskyy said Ukraine's priorities for the talks were halting strikes on energy and critical infrastructure, unblocking Black Sea grain shipments and expanding prisoner exchanges.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of critical
Adjective
  • At Fuerte Guaicaipuro, a military facility, investigators documented detainees being confined in pit-like cells dug below ground level and subjected to cold, food deprivation and other degrading treatment.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of degrading
Adjective
  • Jordan grew up in an abusive environment, Morris said, and left in his earlier teen years.
    — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Edison mentions an abusive boyfriend of Leonora’s, and there is one scene, set at a public park, where some of Arlo’s suppressed trauma flares violently into the open.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • Her personnel file also showed three decades worth of complaints about her hostile and demeaning behavior to colleagues and parents.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Even a mandate as simple as removing racist or demeaning school mascots has depended more on districts’ voluntary compliance than force.
    — David Bloomfield, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of demeaning
Adjective
  • There’s no sense of effort or craft behind the music itself, and the duo’s latest attempts at iconoclasm feel sneeringly contemptuous.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Yet the two plots remain separate and contemptuous of each other, with no denouement in sight.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of contemptuous
Adjective
  • His campaign faced significant backlash in September after social media posts containing slurs against people with disabilities, derogatory language about LGBTQ+ people and language appearing to allude to a racial slur surfaced online.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Colorado State issued an apology in September after fans targeted BYU and the Mormon church with derogatory chants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 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 10 Nov. 2026.

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