Definition of DENIGRATE (original) (raw)

: to attack the reputation of : defame

denigrate one's opponents

: to deny the importance or validity of : belittle

denigrate their achievements

Did you know?

The word denigrate has been part of English since the 16th century and can be traced back to the Latin nigrare, meaning "to blacken." When denigrate was first used, 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"), representing an interesting case of a literal sense (now rare) following a figurative one. Nowadays, you’re most likely to hear denigrate used as a synonym of defame or belittle.

Synonyms

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Bitcoin Magazine was more succinct, denigrating the Trump token offering on X. —Brady Dale, Axios, 21 Jan. 2025 The other worry, given Mr. Trump’s record of denigrating U.S. military alliances, is security. —Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2025 Anderson said, describing a scene where the man lashed out at her, seemingly in response to the 2003 backlash against the group — then known as the Dixie Chicks — over a comment by singer Natalie Maines denigrating President George W. Bush. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 7 Jan. 2025 Instead of denigrating them, why not lift them up while challenging them to innovate and contribute ideas to DOGE? —Robert B. Tucker, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for denigrate