disparage
Americanverb (used with object)
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disparages,
present (3rd person singular)
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disparaged,
past participle, past
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disparaging
present participle
verb
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to speak contemptuously of; belittle
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to damage the reputation of
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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disparagementnoun
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disparagernoun
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disparagingadjective
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undisparagedadjective
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disparaginglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disparagesimple
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disparagessimple
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have disparagedperfect
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has disparagedperfect
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am disparagingprogressive
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are disparagingprogressive
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is disparagingprogressive
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have been disparagingperfect progressive
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has been disparagingperfect progressive
Past
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disparagedsimple
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had disparagedperfect
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was disparagingprogressive
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were disparagingprogressive
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had been disparagingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disparage
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French desparag(i)er “to match unequally,” from des- dis- 1 + -parag(i)er, verb derivative of parage “equal rank,” also “high birth, noble descent” ( see peerage)
Explanation
If you haven't got anything nice to say, then it's time to disparage someone. It means to belittle or degrade a person or idea. Disparage is a specific way to describe a certain kind of insult, the kind that secures the insulter's place as superior. It often refers to an opinion or criticism lobbed in print or via word of mouth, not necessarily an act done to someone's face. If someone or something is being disparaged, you will often find a competing interest in the wings.
Vocabulary lists containing disparage
The Bill of Rights
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Grade 11, List 2
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All About That Baseless: Bad-Faith Accusations
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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:
He called upon people to love their enemies, not rebuke them or disparage their existence.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
In the letter terminating Pelley's contract on Tuesday, Bilton accused him of hijacking the staff meeting to disparage Bilton, his qualificatons and intentions with "remarkable incivility and contempt".
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
“Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Spielberg, for his part, was careful not to disparage streaming.
From Barron's ● Mar. 14, 2026
“It’s an archaic instrument with no room for subtlety. Not to disparage your choice of instrument,” I said quickly.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Warsh regularly disparages such models and the “economics guild” that developed them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
But it also disparages those susceptible to pseudofolliculitis barbae, a medical condition primarily affecting Black men like the show’s razor-shy recruit, wherein regular shaving causes inflammation and a higher likelihood of scarring and developing keloids.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2025
I would like to point out that the 18th-century world Messinger so disparages also gave us the freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2023
After the story published, Tesfaye posted a clip on Twitter and Instagram in which the character disparages the publication.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2023
He feels tenderness toward her when she disparages herself this way.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
And at a White House cage fight, a former first lady was brazenly disparaged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Pentagon is beginning to shower money on high-tech defense startups—while also unloading ever-larger sums of cash on the traditional vendors that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly disparaged as slow and bloated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Other research has been disparaged for not using proper quality-control measures.
From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026
ANL's lawyers have staunchly denied the allegations, previously calling the case "without foundation" and an "affront" to hard-working journalists whose reputations had been disparaged.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025
The Love Life of Dr. Kane disparaged her, her friends, and the movement she believed in.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
He added a Canadian flag emoji and the caption "this is real" - an apparent attempt at disparaging Canada's military by making fun of the pair's appearance.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
An arbitrator issued an interim award barring Wynn-Williams, her lawyers and others from disparaging Meta or promoting the book.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
And with technology growing as rapidly as it is, it behooves the company’s bottom line to avoid damning and disparaging devices outright.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
Rushing said Wednesday he said nothing disparaging toward Lee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Anytime my spirits started to dip, I’d punish myself further with a slew of disparaging thoughts: I hadn’t chosen this.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
