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
Trump delivered several derogatory rants against Somali immigrants following news reports that dozens of people of Somali descent had been convicted in fraud schemes related to Covid relief that netted over $1 billion.
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David Ingram, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
The reports indicated that derogatory and racial remarks were hurled toward Metcalf.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Cincinnati’s athletic director John Cunningham has since apologized for the offensive, derogatory, and dangerous cheer.
—Brandi Hicken, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
The speech was billed as an event to sell his economic agenda, but quickly devolved into a campaign-style speech filled with derogatory insults.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
David Ingram, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
The reports indicated that derogatory and racial remarks were hurled toward Metcalf.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Cincinnati’s athletic director John Cunningham has since apologized for the offensive, derogatory, and dangerous cheer.
—Brandi Hicken, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
The speech was billed as an event to sell his economic agenda, but quickly devolved into a campaign-style speech filled with derogatory insults.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derogatory
Adjective
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Many researchers cite those exact words as insulting or wrong when asked about their own terminations.—
STAT Staff,
STAT,
29 Dec. 2025
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With two toddlers and a 10-hour workday for her husband, the advice was more insulting than helpful.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, is a pejorative Venezuelan term for corrupt figures in the armed forces who take money from drug traffickers; the name is a reference to the sun insignia on their uniforms.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
26 Nov. 2025
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Wales Bonner also gave the shoe a suede high-top makeover, and AVAVAV turned it into a clown shoe in a non-pejorative sense.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
21 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Other Natives found the video demeaning when it was circulated.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
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That demeaning statement has proven both accurate and inaccurate, depending on the president’s relationship with the vice president, their skill set, experience, and political ambition.—
Myra Adams,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The malware intercepts legitimate commands sent by grid operators and replaces them with malicious instructions designed to destabilize the system.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
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All four have been charged with felony assault and conspiracy, and three have been charged with malicious damage.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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For coastal communities, the result can crash fish stocks, threatening jobs in fishing and processing and degrading marine ecosystems, which makes coastal areas less attractive for tourism and recreation.—
Hossain Ahmed Taufiq,
The Conversation,
15 Jan. 2026
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As advertised, Episode 1 was wildly degrading for contestants and weirdly nostalgic for viewers.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
13 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 2026.
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