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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According to the Tourette Association of America, between 10 and 15% of people living with the disorder have vocal tics that may include disturbing, insulting or inappropriate language, including swear words and slurs.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
23 Feb. 2026 -
Some leaders, producers and directors were not amused by Goldberg, saying her remarks were insulting and dismissive of a serious fight to gain diversity within the motion picture industry.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The law requires the removal and replacement of derogatory or offensive names for geographic features and roads.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
1 Mar. 2026
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The referee said in his post-match report that he was told by El Hilali that Mir used derogatory terms against him related to immigrants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The attack also bears similarities to the tactics of a Russian bad actor group that targeted Russian Wiki pages years ago, suggesting the malicious Javascript originated from a much earlier vandalism campaign.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
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In testimony Tuesday, Jared Birchall, Musk’s longtime business manager and confidante, said that his boss’s tweets four years ago were prompted by frustration, and not a malicious effort to sink the stock.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Over the years, the term has come to have a slightly pejorative slant, signifying a marginal kook who never quite made it into leading-lady territory.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2026
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The Premier League’s set-piece evolution has taken on slightly pejorative connotations.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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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First of all, that’s a little bit demeaning to truck drivers.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2026
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Yet another quilt depicts a blackface minstrel as a reminder of whites who masqueraded as Blacks on Vaudeville and perpetuated demeaning stereotypes.—
Susan DeGrane,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 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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Former detainees and human rights organizations have documented systematic torture and severe abuses inside the facility, including beatings, electric shocks, suspension by limbs, prolonged stress positions and other degrading treatment.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
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Currently the funds spent by governments and the private sector on destroying biodiversty and degrading cosystems like forests and seagrasses are 30 times larger than the flows supporting conservation, restoration and protection of the natural world.—
Nick Nuttall,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Denigratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denigratory. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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