DENIGRATE

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

I. (verb)

Verb forms

Present simple: I / you / we / they denigrate ... he / she / it denigrates

Past simple: denigrated

Past participle: denigrated

-ing form: denigrating

Sense 1

Meaning:

Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

Example:

The article in the paper sullied my reputation

Synonyms:

asperse; besmirch; calumniate; defame; denigrate; slander; smear; smirch; sully

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "denigrate" is one way to...):

accuse; charge (blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "denigrate"):

assassinate (destroy or damage seriously, as of someone's reputation)

libel (print slanderous statements against)

badmouth; drag through the mud; malign; traduce (speak unfavorably about)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

denigration (an abusive attack on a person's character or good name)

denigratory ((used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to seem less serious; play down

Example:

Don't belittle his influence

Synonyms:

belittle; denigrate; derogate; minimize

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "denigrate" is one way to...):

belittle; disparage; pick at (express a negative opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "denigrate"):

talk down (belittle through talk)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

denigration (the act of expressing disapproval (especially of yourself))

denigration (a belittling comment)

denigrative ((used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign)