UNCOMPLIMENTARY Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

uncomplimentary

adjective

ˌən-ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-tə-rē

Definition of uncomplimentary

as in insulting

intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value an uncomplimentary description of the town in which the writer grew up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 uncomplimentary 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 Reviews from Rolling Stone and The New York Times were similarly uncomplimentary, and were soon pulled from publication following Lennon's murder. — Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2020 The nation’s capital is replete with lawyers, and thus lawyer jokes (most of them uncomplimentary). — George Weigel, National Review, 2 Dec. 2019 An uncomplimentary set of players under two head coaches with no plan, Spurs stumbled their way to sixth place somehow, despite their best efforts to finish in the bottom half. — SI.com, 21 Oct. 2019 In this case, the noun brickbat, meaning a hard object like a brick that’s used as a missile or an uncomplimentary remark, gave us the verb brickbat, meaning to launch one of these physical or verbal weapons. — June Casagrande, Burbank Leader, 10 Oct. 2019 The recent protests have included uncomplimentary references to la junta — the local name for the oversight board. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncomplimentary

Adjective

Afterward, Lisa brags about her pickpocketing skills and says theft is easier and less insulting to the mark.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
The mother was waiting with her daughter for her other children to get off a school bus when Blanco allegedly approached and made insulting comments, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said, according to WPRI.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of insulting

Adjective

Tweets about Cunningham, thinkpieces, and rebuttals have all swirled into an endless mass of controversy — one dominated by derogatory rhetoric, threats, and anti-trans memes.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
Many posts written and shared by Hamam al Hamami on an X account that has since been deleted used derogatory language about women espoused by misogynistic online influencers.

— Tucker Reals, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of derogatory

Adjective

Moreover, the perpetrators do not appear to have used malicious code on the fridge controllers, potentially complicating efforts to track down who carried out the cyberattack, added Aimé.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The best way to protect yourself from malicious links that install malware and potentially access your private information is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of malicious

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

The point is, the term is meant to be pejorative, used to describe — and let’s face it, judge — the most exaggerated form of plastic surgery, politics aside.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Calling something a white wine thriller could be interpreted as pejorative, if not sexist.

— Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of pejorative

Adjective

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
Relative to the contemptuous silence of the Mike Ashley regime, there is no comparison — but even when compared to previous post-takeover administrations, Newcastle are being more communicative.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of contemptuous

Browse Nearby Words

uncomplicated

uncomplimentary

uncompromising

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“Uncomplimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncomplimentary. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of uncomplimentary

adjective

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