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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pejorative
And that was not a pejorative term.
—
Mariel Carr, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for pejorative
Mariel Carr, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for pejorative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pejorative
Adjective
-
Pratt came in with an insulting offer and needed to be pushed.—
Heather Merrick,
Hartford Courant,
11 June 2026
-
The New York Times last week reported about his relationships with previous girlfriends, some of whom viewed him positively and others who described him as volatile and insulting.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Obamas have faced racist and derogatory attacks for years, including from public officials and online memes.—
Jennifer Hassan,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
People throwing cigarette butts against the house, yelling obscenities, playing derogatory music.—
Madeleine Wright,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Tech companies are developing tools and collaborating, yet voluntary efforts struggle against sophisticated malicious actors.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
For cybersecurity companies, identifying a digital agent crawling a website used to be enough evidence of malicious activity.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
Some of the women interviewed for the article claimed that Platner could be demeaning to women and, in at least one case, even physically threatening.—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
7 June 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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Koenig’s former Yankees teammates were contemptuous of that miserly decision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Pejorative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pejorative. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
