as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
the reviewer used the pejorative word "versifier" to refer to the writer, whose poems had struck a responsive chord with the general public
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pejorative
Liborio speaks with a mix of rage and despondence about his situation; complaining about the pejorative labels those around him call him to diminish his existence.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
This is not a pejorative statement.
—Jason Pettigrew, SPIN, 9 Mar. 2026
The Premier League’s set-piece evolution has taken on slightly pejorative connotations.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for pejorative
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
This is not a pejorative statement.
—Jason Pettigrew, SPIN, 9 Mar. 2026
The Premier League’s set-piece evolution has taken on slightly pejorative connotations.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for pejorative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pejorative
Adjective
-
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
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The 39-year-old man from Stowmarket, Suffolk, was charged with two counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior to harass, cause alarm or distress and failing to provide a blood specimen in custody.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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The last topic was Kash Patel celebrating the USA hockey gold medal in the locker room (making fun of him, derogatory).—
Kate Lavelle,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
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Eatherly, a white man, livestreams confrontations to social media where he can be seen and heard making racially derogatory statements to Black people in public.—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Celeste team argues that large, heavy drones pose a serious cybersecurity risk, as they could be hijacked and used for harm by malicious hackers.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
That’s not necessarily malicious.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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Leadership was abusive, inappropriate and demeaning, employees told The Denver Post.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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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
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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
-
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
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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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
Cite this Entry
“Pejorative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pejorative. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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