denigrate

verb

den·​i·​grate ˈde-ni-ˌgrāt How to pronounce denigrate (audio)
denigrated; denigrating

transitive verb

1
: to attack the reputation of : defame
denigrate one's opponents
2
: to deny the importance or validity of : belittle
denigrate their achievements
denigration noun
denigrative adjective
denigrator noun
denigratory adjective

Did you know?

If you "denigrate" someone, you attempt to blacken their reputation. It makes sense, therefore, that "denigrate" can be traced back to the Latin verb denigrare, meaning "to blacken." When "denigrate" was first used in English in the 16th century, it meant to cast aspersions on someone's character or reputation. Eventually, it developed a second sense of "to make black" ("factory smoke denigrated the sky"), but this sense is somewhat rare in modern usage. Nowadays, of course, "denigrate" can also refer to belittling the worth or importance of someone or something.

Examples of denigrate in a Sentence

Her story denigrates him as a person and as a teacher. No one is trying to denigrate the importance of a good education. We all know that it is crucial for success. denigrating the talents and achievements of women
Recent Examples on the Web Trump won’t do anything for you, other than denigrate and demean you. Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 16 Oct. 2024 All three have for years denigrated the U.S. democratic process and tried to stoke general discord via social media propaganda campaigns. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 16 Oct. 2024 In studies, for example, Russians have shown a correlation between high levels of collective narcissism (the idea that Russia is superior to other countries), collective resentment (the belief that Russians are denigrated by outsiders), and backing the war. Peter Pomerantsev, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Trump, on the other hand, has repeatedly denigrated the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for denigrate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'denigrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin denigratus, past participle of denigrare, from de- + nigrare to blacken, from nigr-, niger black

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of denigrate was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near denigrate

Cite this Entry

“Denigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denigrate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

denigrate

verb
den·​i·​grate
ˈde-ni-ˌgrāt
denigrated; denigrating
1
: to attack the reputation of : defame
2
: to deny the importance or validity of : belittle

More from Merriam-Webster on denigrate

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