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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of derogatory
Federal officials have declared ICE’s killings lawful and justified over social media without any pretense of a formal review, making statements that are cruel, derogatory, misleading, or simply false.
—
The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
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
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
When the witness pointed out Axelrod, Haney allegedly used some derogatory language, sped up, and aimed his car directly at the victim.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
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
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
When the witness pointed out Axelrod, Haney allegedly used some derogatory language, sped up, and aimed his car directly at the victim.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derogatory
Adjective
-
With all of the furor over the halftime show, perhaps no one noticed two highly insulting events that directly affected the deaf audience.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The discontent was more widespread, more vociferous and more insulting this time.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
The Premier League’s set-piece evolution has taken on slightly pejorative connotations.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Never mind that the statuettes were meant to be demeaning.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Sure, the demeaning bigotry cannot be ignored, and the post was just after armed federal agents burst into a hotel room to arrest the unarmed Black journalist Don Lemon, and the National Park Service removed a slavery exhibit in Philadelphia.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Conservative pundit Meghan McCain blasted commentator Tucker Carlson after a guest on his podcast and online show this week made a disparaging remark about her weight.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
5 Dec. 2025
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Emily’s father didn’t say it in a disparaging way—more like That was just Ryan.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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
-
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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Derogatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derogatory. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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