PEJORATIVE Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

pejorative

adjective

pi-ˈjȯr-ə-tiv

Definition of pejorative

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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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 With that in mind, is ring chasing, used as a pejorative, dead after this? — Dan Woike, New York Times, 31 July 2026 But that pejorative term isn’t reserved only for those in pop or rock music. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2026 Wilder has been criticized so often for the pejorative descriptions of Indigenous people in the book series that in 2018, a division of the American Library Association removed her name from a prestigious achievement award for children’s literature. — Emily Staunton, Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2026 The term hillbilly, which is often considered pejorative, refers to isolated white Americans with origins in rural and mountainous areas, often in the South, Appalachia, or the Ozarks. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pejorative

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pejorative

Adjective

But to propose trading him for anything short of a fourth-round pick is insulting.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Afterward, Lisa brags about her pickpocketing skills and says theft is easier and less insulting to the mark.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of insulting

Adjective

His campaign faced significant backlash in September after social media posts containing slurs against people with disabilities, derogatory language about LGBTQ+ people and language appearing to allude to a racial slur surfaced online.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Colorado State issued an apology in September after fans targeted BYU and the Mormon church with derogatory chants.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of derogatory

Adjective

Authorities have described the more than two dozen threats as malicious hoaxes, and no actual attacks have been carried out.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Iran has been linked to at least one incident in Israel earlier in the spring, though that breach involved a lot more sophistication and malicious activity.

— Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

Even a mandate as simple as removing racist or demeaning school mascots has depended more on districts’ voluntary compliance than force.

— David Bloomfield, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
Her demeaning behavior toward her boyfriend makes the letter writer reconsider their friendship.

— R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of demeaning

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
The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.

— Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026

Definition of disparaging

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

Definition of deprecatory

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

Definition of uncomplimentary

Adjective

Yet the two plots remain separate and contemptuous of each other, with no denouement in sight.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Below the surface, there is a lot of contemptuous finger-pointing about where the anti-AI energy now coursing through the political-media landscape is coming from.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of contemptuous

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pegs out

pejorative

pelage

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“Pejorative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pejorative. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of pejorative

adjective

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