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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  1. defamation
  2. criticism
  3. denigration
  4. condemnation
  5. depreciation
  6. abuse
  7. detraction
  8. belittlement
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 justice ministry rejected the criticism, saying the proceedings complied with Syrian law and included the participation of victims and their representatives.
    — Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The documentary spotlighted some harsh criticisms of the show and of Banks.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticism
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
Definition of denigration
Noun
  • Whether Tlaib is motivated by animus toward Moskowitz and Wasserman Schultz for their censure votes and condemnations of her rhetoric, or by support for their progressive opponents Larkin and Manley — or a combination — is unknown.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Missing from the 62-page report — at least in the view of some longtime department observers — was any reflection about officers’ use of less-lethal weapons that left hundreds of people injured and drew strong condemnations from human rights groups.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of condemnation
Noun
  • The company reported preliminary underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $3 billion for April to June.
    — Jenni Reid,Sam Meredith, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The bear case – that CoreWeave’s six-year useful life assumption for calculating GPU depreciation overstates operating income -- does not seem to be moving the stock.
    — Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of depreciation
Noun
  • The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm specializing in civil liberties cases, identified over 100 incidents of automatic license plate reader abuse, including stalking and wrongful stops.
    — Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Fazio said his administration would look closely into key positions that necessitate work be performed in-office and on-site, such as social workers responsible for monitoring child abuse cases.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 14 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

Browse Nearby Words

disparaged
disparagement
disparagements
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Cite this Entry

“Disparagement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disparagement. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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