as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
used a common derogative word for lawyers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derogative
Adjective
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The comments were not well received, with locals telling BBC Scotland News that the description was insulting and did not reflect the people in the area.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 May 2026 -
Instead, this just looks like virtue signaling to justify his controversial move to Baton Rouge, which is insulting to people actually affected by what the University of Mississippi represents.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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On West, now known as Ye, Jay-Z’s bars appeared to home in on Ye previously making derogatory comments about Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s children.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
31 May 2026
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The video from a nearby camera phone showed Crow-Armstrong using a vulgar phrase that involved one of his body parts and calling the woman a derogatory name.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
These aren’t just NIMBY complaints—not in the pejorative sense, at least.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
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Although originally pejorative, the term has since been widely adopted by scholars, writers, and the public.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Despite the demeaning work, Laura, a local woman, has risen to middle management through unyielding determination.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
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Not in a demeaning way but in a loving a caring way.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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The core challenge of adapting systems of trust to the agentic economy is distinguishing legitimate from malicious automation without harming the user experience.—
Andrew Sever,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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The addition was a prompt injection, a form of AI attack that exploits an LLM’s inability to distinguish between legitimate user prompts and those from unauthorized, potentially malicious third parties.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Felix points to Trump’s disparaging and false comments against Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, which put a target on the back of many Haitian immigrants.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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While Trump’s talk of a possible NATO pullout dates back years, the comments to The Telegraph newspaper in the U.K., published Wednesday, were among the clearest and most disparaging yet — suggesting that the fracture has deepened perhaps to a point of no return.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 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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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
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Cite this Entry
“Derogative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derogative. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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