as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
used the detractive epithet "McJob" to describe what his feckless son-in-law did for work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detractive
Adjective
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The comments were not well received, with locals telling BBC Scotland News that the description was insulting and did not reflect the people in the area.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 May 2026 -
Instead, this just looks like virtue signaling to justify his controversial move to Baton Rouge, which is insulting to people actually affected by what the University of Mississippi represents.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Critics are sometimes contemptuous of the way superhero entertainment has been embraced by adults, who should presumably be making their way through the Booker Prize longlist.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Sara Hershkowitz’s wildly contemptuous Queen adds further soprano glory.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Suzanne Swierc Ball State University agreed to pay $225,000 to its former health director, Suzanne Swierc, after she was fired for making a critical social media post following Kirk's assassination, according to reporting from IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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Studying the history of the Winkie and Lord, Miller, and Muntadas’s video anthology offers us perhaps an alternative path out of our current critical doom loop.—
Jonathan Odden,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The teenager was arrested for 12 counts of willful/malicious kill/maim/torture animal -- horse and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000, authorities said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
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Justice Stanley Reed’s majority opinion emphasized that what had happened to Francis was accidental and that, without malicious intent, there was no violation of the Eighth Amendment.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 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
-
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
-
The popularity of e-bikes and e-motos has soared since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving lawmakers and law enforcement scrambling to regulate the bikes that are often used by young riders ignorant or disdainful of the rules of the road.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In real life, Natalie is detached from her children and disdainful of her spouse, prone to violent outbursts as the farm spins out of her control.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In principle, there is no such thing as intrinsically degrading work; degradation is a cultural phenomenon.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
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There’s an adjustment period — percale can feel crisp at first — but most people acclimate within a week or two and find cotton softens further with every wash, rather than pilling or degrading like synthetics.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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These aren’t just NIMBY complaints—not in the pejorative sense, at least.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
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Although originally pejorative, the term has since been widely adopted by scholars, writers, and the public.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Detractive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detractive. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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