DISPARAGEMENT Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

disparagement

noun

as in defamation

the act of making a person or a thing seem little or unimportant his predictable disparagement of the latest fashions among young people

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of disparagement Asserting claims for tortious interference, civil conspiracy, commercial disparagement and violations of Illinois consumer fraud laws, the Butlers sought more than $50 million in compensatory damages and over $200 million in punitive damages. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 June 2026 These disparagements cut to the core of southern manhood. — Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026 The contract contained a non-disparagement clause, and in law, the special thing about disparagement is that unlike defamation, the truth is not a defense against disparagement. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026 And the Times Magazine suggested the idea of discovering a similar past disparagement clause to the one that plagued HBO might dissuade any network from tackling a future Jackson project. — Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026 And though Chalamet did not make such insults himself, his comments fit into this broader context of disparagement and dismissal. — Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026 As February ended, some of the things coming out of the coaches’ mouths felt more like despair than disparagement. — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026 But in both cases, although separated by six decades, condemnation, disparagement and misogyny soon followed. — Aniko Bodroghkozy, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026 Aumann’s complaint alleges fraud, tortious interference and business disparagement and other alleged misdeeds. — Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disparagement

Noun

But if it is altered, selectively edited, or shared with false context to damage someone’s reputation, legal issues such as defamation or invasion of privacy may arise.

— Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
He was sued for defamation by voting machine companies — including one case that was settled.

— Dana Ferguson, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of defamation

Noun

The company has continued to push back on criticism by offering law enforcement advice on how to counter public pressure at city council meetings, noted Torin Monahan, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2014 that Hungary had sacked Baka for criticism of the ⁠government and that his removal did damage to democratic freedoms in Hungary.

— Reuters, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticism

Noun

That same day, the Houthis launched a flurry of attacks that reportedly killed and wounded dozens near the Yemen-Saudi border – sparking condemnation from Jordanian, Bahraini and Kuwaiti authorities.

— Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
What comes next ultimately vindicates Circe’s condemnation of the sailors.

— Bailey Sincox, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of condemnation

Noun

First, the iSeeCars study measures changes in average listing prices, not depreciation from original MSRP or completed transaction prices.

— Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Sweetgreen is also expecting to report an adjusted loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $27 million to $23 million.

— Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of depreciation

Noun

The Indian government last month issued a stern warning to Instagram to remove child abuse ads on its platform that followed a warning to WhatsApp over the rollout of a username feature.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
In recent years, Orbit spoke candidly about overcoming substance abuse and a psychotic episode that interrupted his career before returning to music.

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of abuse

Noun

This move by Torras signals a broader cultural shift where the utility of a device is no longer seen as a detraction from its style.

— Footwear News, Footwear News, 18 Mar. 2026
Agreeing with Kruse, Commissioner Tal Siddique cited the lack of commercial land as his main detraction for the project.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026

Definition of detraction

Noun

During Season 10, a newly confident Batula — who seemed to despise Cooke from the first minute of the premiere episode — appeared to be poised to launch a triumphant post-divorce arc, free at last from Cooke’s belittlement and verbal abuse.

— Kate Aurthur, Variety, 29 June 2026
Apolline may embrace the social media aspects of her career but George’s belittlement rankles her.

— Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2025

Definition of belittlement

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“Disparagement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disparagement. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of disparagement

noun

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