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
Lorincz, who is White, called the children, who are Black, derogatory names and racial slurs.
—
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
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
In 2007, an Arab officer accused Feldman and other officers of using racist slurs and making derogatory jokes about his identity.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
The last topic was Kash Patel celebrating the USA hockey gold medal in the locker room (making fun of him, derogatory).
—Kate Lavelle, Glamour, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
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
In 2007, an Arab officer accused Feldman and other officers of using racist slurs and making derogatory jokes about his identity.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
The last topic was Kash Patel celebrating the USA hockey gold medal in the locker room (making fun of him, derogatory).
—Kate Lavelle, Glamour, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derogatory
Adjective
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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
Adjective
-
Not in the pejorative, party girl sense, but in a cool, chaotically chic way.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
-
These aren’t just NIMBY complaints—not in the pejorative sense, at least.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
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Some of the women interviewed for the article claimed that Platner could be demeaning to women and, in at least one case, even physically threatening.—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Tech companies are developing tools and collaborating, yet voluntary efforts struggle against sophisticated malicious actors.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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For cybersecurity companies, identifying a digital agent crawling a website used to be enough evidence of malicious activity.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
17 June 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
-
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
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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
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
Cite this Entry
“Derogatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derogatory. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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