Denigrate (Verb)
Meaning 1
Cause to seem less serious; play down; "Don't belittle his influence".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The politician's adversaries sought to denigrate her years of public service by emphasizing minor controversies.
- Their sarcastic remarks began to denigrate the poem's emotional message, reducing it to something laughable.
- It was unhelpful to denigrate his opinions in this way; couldn't we find some common ground?
- Journalists critiqued the media outlet for its tendency to denigrate pressing social issues by presenting a sunny narrative.
- Her parents were worried that labeling the bullying as "kids being kids" would denigrate the genuine psychological pain she was enduring.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone; "The journalists have defamed me!"; "The article in the paper sullied my reputation".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The politician's opponent sought to denigrate their character by spreading false rumors about their past.
- The celebrities denied that their management team tried to denigrate the rival singer in the media to gain attention.
- Without any solid evidence, the blogger continued to denigrate the work of the scientist, weakening public confidence.
- His reputation was severely damaged after his business partner attempted to denigrate him to their investors.
- The politician was quick to denigrate the activist's efforts, even though their campaign helped raise awareness about environmental issues.