denigrate
verb
den·i·grate
ˈde-ni-ˌgrāt 
denigrated; denigrating
1
: to attack the reputation of : defame
denigrate one's opponents
2
: 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.
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
Although Trump has long denigrated Washington, these were the most direct comments of his four-week-old second term describing his desire to strip local control from the District of Columbia.
—
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
In his news conference on Tuesday, Mr. Trump also denigrated Mr. Zelensky and suggested that new elections in Ukraine should play a part in the country’s negotiations with Russia.
—Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
However, the Academy has concluded that no rules were violated — Gascón did not comment on or denigrate Torres’ performance or film — but Gascón did release a statement to Variety to clarify the situation.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2025
For instance, Trump denigrated scientific experts on the campaign trail and in his first term in office.
—Dominik Stecuła, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
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Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
In his news conference on Tuesday, Mr. Trump also denigrated Mr. Zelensky and suggested that new elections in Ukraine should play a part in the country’s negotiations with Russia.
—Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
However, the Academy has concluded that no rules were violated — Gascón did not comment on or denigrate Torres’ performance or film — but Gascón did release a statement to Variety to clarify the situation.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2025
For instance, Trump denigrated scientific experts on the campaign trail and in his first term in office.
—Dominik Stecuła, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denigrate
Cite this Entry
“Denigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denigrate. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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