denigrate

[ den-i-greyt ]

verb (used with object)

, den·i·grat·ed, den·i·grat·ing.

1. to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame:

   to denigrate someone's character.

   Synonyms: vilify, disparage, traduce, slander, besmirch, malign

2. to treat or represent as lacking in value or importance; belittle; disparage:

   to denigrate someone's contributions to a project.

3. Archaic. to make black; darken:

   rain clouds denigrating the sky.

denigrate

/ ˈdɛnɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

1. tr to belittle or disparage the character of; defame
2. a rare word for blacken

Derived Forms

• ˌdeniˈgration, noun
• ˈdeniˌgrator, noun

Other Words From

• den·i·gra·tion [den-i-, grey, -sh, uh, n], noun
• den·i·gra·tive adjective
• den·i·gra·tor noun
• den·i·gra·to·ry [den, -i-gr, uh, -tawr-ee], adjective
• self-den·i·grat·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of denigrate¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin dēnigrātus (past participle of dēnigrāre “to blacken”), equivalent to dē- de- + nigr(āre) “to make black” + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of denigrate¹

C16: from Latin dēnigrāre to make very black, defame, from nigrāre to blacken, from niger black

Synonym Study

See decry.

Example Sentences

Native Americans won state backing to ban a term used to denigrate Native women from geographic place names.

From Los Angeles Times

She recalls Kuhn directing his “venom against young girls in our town who wished to play sports. … There was great pressure coming from Bowie Kuhn to denigrate girls who did play sports.”

From Los Angeles Times

Social policies in place during the pandemic are easy to denigrate because their costs were evident but their positive effects were often invisible, Salomon observed.

From Los Angeles Times

It is not my job to denigrate the integrity of the courts.

From Slate

“My father taught me a lot about the process of being a professional actor, but he would denigrate me at every turn,” says Roberts.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• besmirch
• defame
• disparage
• impugn
• slander
• vilify