uncomplimentary

adjective

ˌən-ˌkäm-plə-ˈmen-tə-rē How to pronounce uncomplimentary (audio)
Definition of uncomplimentarynext
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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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 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
  1. insulting
  2. derogatory
  3. malicious
  4. disparaging
  5. demeaning
  6. deprecatory
  7. pejorative
  8. contemptuous
Adjective
  • Considering there were only 33 appearances this past season, such Heat prudence hardly could be viewed as insulting.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
  • What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Trump has repeatedly made derogatory and racist comments about immigrants, including calling them criminals and falsely saying that Haitians eat cats and dogs.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
  • Denny Jong — began making derogatory comments around the office, fostering a culture of permissiveness that allowed similar remarks to go unchecked.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of derogatory
Adjective
  • Anthropic has reported banning accounts and tightening filters after detecting attempts to use Claude for phishing emails, malicious code and safeguard bypasses.
    — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Rather than needing years of specialist knowledge, attackers can now use large language models to perform reconnaissance, identify weaknesses, write malicious code and map computer networks in ways that previously demanded significant expertise.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 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 is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of demeaning
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
  • 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
Definition of pejorative
Adjective
  • The man didn’t catch Serena’s contemptuous expression, however, too busy peeling bills from a money clip and pressing them into his date’s hand.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • The fantasy of transforming a cold or contemptuous man through the sheer force of one’s love has caused real harm, and the critique of it is warranted.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026
Definition of contemptuous

Browse Nearby Words

uncomplicated
uncomplimentary
uncompromising
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uncomplimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncomplimentary. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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