as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
a denigratory observation that the novel wasn't half bad—considering it was written by an actor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denigratory
Adjective
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Many researchers cite those exact words as insulting or wrong when asked about their own terminations.—
STAT Staff,
STAT,
29 Dec. 2025 -
With two toddlers and a 10-hour workday for her husband, the advice was more insulting than helpful.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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During the incident, the woman pushed him, shoved a shopping cart at him and made derogatory remarks, according to police.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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Reale joked that he’s been called plenty of derogatory names through the years by surfers in the water competing for waves.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The malware intercepts legitimate commands sent by grid operators and replaces them with malicious instructions designed to destabilize the system.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
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All four have been charged with felony assault and conspiracy, and three have been charged with malicious damage.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, is a pejorative Venezuelan term for corrupt figures in the armed forces who take money from drug traffickers; the name is a reference to the sun insignia on their uniforms.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
26 Nov. 2025
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Wales Bonner also gave the shoe a suede high-top makeover, and AVAVAV turned it into a clown shoe in a non-pejorative sense.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
21 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Neither party admitted to liability and each agreed to refrain from making disparaging, negative or uncomplimentary statements about the other, the document said.—
Lorraine Mirabella,
Baltimore Sun,
29 July 2022
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Though the pollen gunk will pass, he's concerned by a contingent of Twitter trolls who've shared uncomplimentary reviews of his recent North American tour.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE.com,
21 Jan. 2022
Adjective
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Other Natives found the video demeaning when it was circulated.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
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That demeaning statement has proven both accurate and inaccurate, depending on the president’s relationship with the vice president, their skill set, experience, and political ambition.—
Myra Adams,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This subsided with unusual speed, however, as cricket fans took instead to sharing the self-deprecatory jokes coming over the border.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
22 June 2019
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Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.—
Sonja Haller,
USA TODAY,
11 July 2018
Adjective
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As advertised, Episode 1 was wildly degrading for contestants and weirdly nostalgic for viewers.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
13 Jan. 2026
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Sheriff Guidroz said the three inmates removed blocks from a degrading wall in the prison to create a hole, and used sheets to assist them in climbing down a wall and dropping to the ground.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Denigratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denigratory. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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