as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
fans made a steady stream of derogatory remarks about the players on the visiting team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of derogatory
In the video posted to Instagram, a woman, now identified as officer Ashley Gonzalez, can be seen talking while using derogatory comments about Black people and repeatedly using racial slurs.
—
Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The video, which has spread across social media, shows a woman repeatedly using racial slurs and making derogatory comments about Black people, including describing her use of the language during a past arrest, the outlets reported.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
The announcement of the 34-year-old Eta’s appointment prompted sexist and derogatory comments on social media, leading Union to push back.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Some incels use the term in a derogatory fashion, believing those who aspire to ascension are delusional.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The video, which has spread across social media, shows a woman repeatedly using racial slurs and making derogatory comments about Black people, including describing her use of the language during a past arrest, the outlets reported.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
The announcement of the 34-year-old Eta’s appointment prompted sexist and derogatory comments on social media, leading Union to push back.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Some incels use the term in a derogatory fashion, believing those who aspire to ascension are delusional.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derogatory
Adjective
-
Alex Jenkinson, 39, is accused of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior toward the former prince, whose royal titles were removed last year by King Charles III due to his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
In a February 2025 meeting, Grimes made profane and insulting comments to another Uber lawyer, the filing said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Although originally pejorative, the term has since been widely adopted by scholars, writers, and the public.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But even scholars often employ the term as a pejorative, used to describe authoritarian government.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Leadership was abusive, inappropriate and demeaning, employees told The Denver Post.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The malicious Iranian regime is our national enemy.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Under President John Adams, the Federalists sought to eradicate French ideological influence by raising the bar to citizenship, lowering the bar to deportation, and criminalizing malicious criticism of the federal government.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.—
Joe Garofoli,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
There’s an adjustment period — percale can feel crisp at first — but most people acclimate within a week or two and find cotton softens further with every wash, rather than pilling or degrading like synthetics.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Most people acclimate within a week or two, and cotton gets softer with every wash rather than pilling or degrading.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Derogatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derogatory. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
