belittle
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to consider or speak of (something) as less valuable or important than it really is; disparage
-
to cause to make small; dwarf
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
belittlesimple
-
belittlessimple
-
have belittledperfect
-
has belittledperfect
-
am belittlingprogressive
-
are belittlingprogressive
-
is belittlingprogressive
-
have been belittlingperfect progressive
-
has been belittlingperfect progressive
Past
-
belittledsimple
-
had belittledperfect
-
was belittlingprogressive
-
were belittlingprogressive
-
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“I will not belittle that one bit. But I will say, it’s the curse of a leader.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
Taiwan declined to comment on its accuracy, but called it a “crude and clumsy” effort to divide Taiwanese society, belittle the government and hurt morale.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Although he celebrated intensely, Crawford did not belittle Álvarez, acknowledging the quality of the former champion.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025
"There are ways of doing things that don't ostracise people or belittle them. I don't like belittlement."
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2025
The teacher proceeded to belittle everyone from German Eva, who hated laziness, to Japanese Yukari, who loved paintbrushes and soap.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
