derogatory

adjective

di-ˈrä-gə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce derogatory (audio)
Definition of derogatorynext
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

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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 For one thing, Aniya never said anything derogatory about KC, which even the guys must grumpily acknowledge to be true. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 July 2026 To complicate matters the term is also used in a non-derogatory manner to refer to a small African-descended ethnic minority in Sri Lanka. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026 White has a controversial past, including failure to pay child support, a charge White denies, and making a number of derogatory social media comments. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 26 June 2026 Nobody wants anything derogatory about them, so our first thought is — could any part of this be seen as making fun of this person or this song? — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derogatory
  1. insulting
  2. pejorative
  3. demeaning
  4. malicious
  5. disparaging
  6. uncomplimentary
  7. degrading
  8. deprecatory
Adjective
  • Considering there were only 33 appearances this past season, such Heat prudence hardly could be viewed as insulting.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
  • What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • But that pejorative term isn’t reserved only for those in pop or rock music.
    — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2026
  • Wilder has been criticized so often for the pejorative descriptions of Indigenous people in the book series that in 2018, a division of the American Library Association removed her name from a prestigious achievement award for children’s literature.
    — Emily Staunton, Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2026
Definition of pejorative
Adjective
  • This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
  • Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.
    — Emily Hoerner, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Definition of demeaning
Adjective
  • Anthropic has reported banning accounts and tightening filters after detecting attempts to use Claude for phishing emails, malicious code and safeguard bypasses.
    — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Rather than needing years of specialist knowledge, attackers can now use large language models to perform reconnaissance, identify weaknesses, write malicious code and map computer networks in ways that previously demanded significant expertise.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of disparaging
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
Definition of uncomplimentary
Adjective
  • No one should be subject to listening to the most degrading and profane words that now seem popular with some people.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • According to the company, the electronic attack variant is intended to provide non-kinetic effects on the battlefield by disrupting and degrading enemy sensors and reconnaissance networks.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 June 2026
Definition of degrading
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
Definition of deprecatory

Browse Nearby Words

derogative
derogatory
derriere
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Cite this Entry

“Derogatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derogatory. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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