put-down

or put·down

[ poot-doun ]

noun

1. a landing of an aircraft.
2. Informal.
   1. a disparaging, belittling, or snubbing remark.
   2. a remark or act intended to humiliate or embarrass someone.

put down

verb

1. to make a written record of
2. to repress

   to put down a rebellion

3. to consider; account

   they put him down for an ignoramus

4. to attribute

   I put the mistake down to his inexperience

5. to put to death, because of old age or illness

   the vet put the cat down

6. to table on the agenda

   the MPs put down a motion on the increase in crime

7. to put (a baby) to bed
8. to dismiss, reject, or humiliate

noun

1. a cruelly crushing remark

Word History and Origins

Origin of put-down¹

First recorded in 1960–65; noun use of verb phrase put down

Example Sentences

He's been direct in his put-downs of Trump and his acolytes, calling the conspiracies of Marjorie Taylor Greene "stupid" during a briefing and again calling Trump a "loser" while stopping by "The View."

From Salon

There is no end of put-downs that attach to the job of vice president, a position that’s widely treated as irrelevant when its occupant is not ignored altogether.

From Los Angeles Times

The UAW has pledged its support to Kamala Harris and much of the crowd in the room whooped and clapped with every put-down she threw Trump’s way.

From BBC

The result is a book laden with put-downs of the English working class, who are cast in eugenicist terms as a degenerate race.

From Salon

In this “Yes, And” reminds us that Deborah is in part modeled on Joan Rivers, who reserved her most scathing put-downs for herself.

From Salon

Related Words

• crush
• quash
• quell
• repress
• stamp out
• suppress