belittle

American

[bih-lit-l] / bɪˈlɪt l /

verb (used with object)

belittled, belittling

to regard or portray as less little impressive or important than appearances indicate; depreciate; disparage.

Synonyms:

dismiss, scorn, deride, deprecate, decry, minimize

belittle British

/ bɪˈlɪtəl /

verb

to consider or speak of (something) as less valuable or important than it really is; disparage
to cause to make small; dwarf

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

belittlement noun
belittler noun
belittlingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of belittle

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; be- + little

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.

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

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

Others believe it is a misguided venture and, if Sabalenka loses, will create an opportunity for women's tennis to be belittled.

From BBC

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

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023