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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Recent Examples of derogatory
Alcala allegedly became angry, questioning paternity and hurling derogatory comments at her.
—
Scott Schwebke, Oc Register, 13 June 2025
The England fans, desperate for a good time, started working their way through a repertoire of songs, including serenading Manchester City’s Phil Foden, who was not included in Tuchel’s squad, and singing derogatory chants about Keir Starmer, the United Kingdom’s prime minister.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 8 June 2025
Musk also mocked Navarro with a derogatory term for someone with a mental disability.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
The word cowboy itself was used in a derogatory way to describe the former slaves as 'boys,' ... destroying the negative connotation, what remains is the strength and resiliency of these men who were the true definition of Western fortitude.
—Alex Gonzalez, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Scott Schwebke, Oc Register, 13 June 2025
The England fans, desperate for a good time, started working their way through a repertoire of songs, including serenading Manchester City’s Phil Foden, who was not included in Tuchel’s squad, and singing derogatory chants about Keir Starmer, the United Kingdom’s prime minister.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 8 June 2025
Musk also mocked Navarro with a derogatory term for someone with a mental disability.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
The word cowboy itself was used in a derogatory way to describe the former slaves as 'boys,' ... destroying the negative connotation, what remains is the strength and resiliency of these men who were the true definition of Western fortitude.
—Alex Gonzalez, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derogatory
Adjective
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Conversations revealed an ongoing dialogue that was not only deeply insulting to Read, but morally offensive to women broadly.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Trump’s orders are insulting to state and local officials, but especially to the Marines.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Wife guy, always a little mocking, curdled into the plainly pejorative.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
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The frequent Trump epithet losers would be a suitably pejorative modern equivalent.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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But the racial order of the day also made these jobs, which were physically challenging to begin with, especially demeaning, humiliating, and fraught with danger.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
21 June 2025
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Being high and coerced into this demeaning lifestyle.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
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The first-degree arson charges and malicious damage by explosive charges are connected to the damage to two homes on each side of Barnette’s property.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Living the Values: Nothing is more disparaging for employees than having a leader who demonstrates behaviors that do not align with the organizational values, and no one seems to care.—
Tony Gambill,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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The 2023 Economic Report Of The President published in March of 2023 was relatively disparaging of cryptoassets and DLTs.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes,
5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Utilities can ask similar questions about households with pool pumps or those that show signs of inefficient or degrading appliances.—
Abhay Gupta,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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But while the Internet is torn over whether Carpenter’s submissive position on the Man’s Best Friend cover is funny or degrading, Whoopi Goldberg was more concerned with something else.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
12 June 2025
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 6 Jul. 2025.
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