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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Recent Examples of disparagement
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
The disparagement made Knausgaard drop writing for a good ten years.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
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
The disparagement made Knausgaard drop writing for a good ten years.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disparagement
Noun
-
In June last year, Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and the couple's publicist Leslie Sloane, as well as Baldoni's defamation suit against the Times, was dismissed by Liman.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Marie Theodat filed suit in Suffolk Superior Court in September 2025 against more than a dozen defendants, alleging claims of discrimination, defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The Seleção victory eliminates Haiti from knockout play and gives coach Carlo Ancelotti a bit of breathing room after his draw to open the tournament earned him criticism.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
-
While backing its longtime partner Iran rhetorically, China has been measured in its criticism of the US for sparking the conflict and held multiple calls and meetings with Gulf states that came under Iran’s attack.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
For me, this marks an early moment in the denigration of women.—
Eana Kim,
ARTnews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Nowhere is there the vitriol or denigration found in MAGA gatherings.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kyiv cast the attack as revenge for strikes on a historic monastery that had drawn global condemnation.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
-
And over time, as politicians and religious leaders have pushed for the regulation and public condemnation of those who practice BDSM, people have formed communities to support one another and create spaces for pleasure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
When asset growth exceeds earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) growth, stock returns tend to be negatively affected.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Bank Indonesia highlighted that the depreciation of the rupiah was also driven by foreign portfolio investment outflows.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
In 2014, Smith served a nine-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 June 2026
-
He was suspended multiple times during his career for infractions including violating the league's substance abuse and personal conduct policy.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
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
Noun
-
Apolline may embrace the social media aspects of her career but George’s belittlement rankles her.—
Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disparagement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disparagement. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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