discredit
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to injure the credit or reputation of; defame.
an effort to discredit honest politicians.
-
to show to be undeserving of trust or belief; destroy confidence in.
Later research discredited earlier theories.
-
to give no credence to; disbelieve.
There was good reason to discredit the witness.
noun
-
loss or lack of belief or confidence; disbelief; distrust.
His theories met with general discredit.
-
loss or lack of repute or esteem; disrepute.
-
something that damages a good reputation.
This behavior will be a discredit to your good name.
verb
-
to damage the reputation of
-
to cause to be disbelieved or distrusted
-
to reject as untrue or of questionable accuracy
noun
-
a person, thing, or state of affairs that causes disgrace
-
damage to a reputation
-
lack of belief or confidence
Other Word Forms
- undiscredited adjective
Etymology
Origin of discredit
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But she doesn't think Redzepi's actions "should discredit the works and culinary experimentation they've been doing."
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
Anna Sale: When news came out about your tattoo—the skull-and-crossbones design that resembles Nazi imagery—you said it was fed from people researching your background who wanted to discredit you.
From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026
In a statement Monday, Rodriguez said “people are pointing to messages where I was polite, grateful, or vulnerable — and trying to use that to discredit me.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2025
This is a notable and perhaps sobering parallel, but it does not necessarily discredit contemporary psychiatry, as Ms. Antonetta seems to imply.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025
It consisted in falsifying a series of production reports of two years ago in such a way as to cast discredit on a prominent member of the Inner Party who was now under a cloud.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
