belittle
Americanverb (used with object)
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belittles,
present (3rd person singular)
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belittled,
past participle, past
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belittling
present participle
verb
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to consider or speak of (something) as less valuable or important than it really is; disparage
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to cause to make small; dwarf
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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belittlesimple
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belittlessimple
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have belittledperfect
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has belittledperfect
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am belittlingprogressive
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are belittlingprogressive
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is belittlingprogressive
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have been belittlingperfect progressive
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has been belittlingperfect progressive
Past
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belittledsimple
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had belittledperfect
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was belittlingprogressive
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were belittlingprogressive
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had been belittlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of belittle
Explanation
To belittle means to put down, or to make another person feel as though they aren't important. Saying mean things about another person literally makes them feel "little." To belittle someone is a cruel way of making someone else seem less important than yourself. A candidate for office might belittle his opponent by pointing out during a press conference that his fellow candidate has an inferior intellect. Belittling doesn't have to come in the form of verbal abuse. A manager who forces his administrative assistant to scrub his office floor with a toothbrush belittles her as well.
Vocabulary lists containing belittle
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
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This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"People who make unnecessary remarks, belittle those in pain or seek to cause them further suffering at this sensitive time are criminals," Shah wrote in a Facebook post.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Both were quick to belittle the promises by their rival.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Chinese diplomats told the Journal that the staging wasn’t meant to belittle Putin in any way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Some people see it is as harmless entertainment between two high-profile players, but others believe it could belittle the women's game if Sabalenka loses.
From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025
“Because I’m an assassin, and he’s Captain of the Guard, forced to belittle himself by minding the would-be King’s Champion.”
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
It saddens me to say but relegation may be the only way forward to rescue this club from the poor quality ownership that belittles this once proud club.
From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2026
And that can make for a harsh internal voice that belittles and chastises us.
From New York Times ● Apr. 11, 2024
Cronin belittles players for making mistakes, but lacks personal accountability.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2024
“There will be no compromise with any party that challenges, belittles or violates Malaysian laws,” he said in a statement on Facebook.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 22, 2023
“Not monster movies. My sister, as usual, belittles my chosen medium. Want to know the tide?”
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
It is fascinating to me that Thomas, who genuinely feels belittled by every single thing that has ever happened to him, has somehow gotten smaller on the job.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026
US President Donald Trump said Friday that Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a leftist his administration long belittled, will visit the White House next month as he voiced optimism for ties.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
Others believe it is a misguided venture and, if Sabalenka loses, will create an opportunity for women's tennis to be belittled.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
It prompts other team members to drop out of the discussion or withhold information, fearing that they will be belittled if they speak up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
My brain remembered just how long I’d been ignored and belittled.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
In 1971, Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine, run exclusively by women, for women, and born from conversations with other women writers who’d grown exhausted with the belittling conventions and blind spots of male-dominated media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
But Jones said she found herself apologizing to Bruccoleri for "criticising and belittling" her while in character.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
And the teenage provocateur made no secret of that revulsion, loudly belittling his fellow students.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2025
Dr. Chernin acknowledged how stressful those conversations can be, sometimes deteriorating into finger-pointing, belittling or stonewalling.
From New York Times ● May 17, 2024
I think it might embarrass Stuart to hear mice mentioned in such a belittling manner.”
From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
