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belittle

[ bih-lit-l ]
/ bɪˈlɪt l /
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See synonyms for: belittle / belittled / belittles / belittling on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), be·lit·tled, be·lit·tling.
to regard or portray as less impressive or important than appearances indicate; depreciate; disparage.
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Origin of belittle

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

OTHER WORDS FROM belittle

be·lit·tle·ment, nounbe·lit·tler, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to belittle

criticize, decry, deride, discredit, disparage, downplay, scorn, underestimate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, diminish, discount, downgrade, knock, lower, minimize, pan, rip, roast

How to use belittle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for belittle

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

Derived forms of belittle

belittlement, nounbelittler, nounbelittlingly, adverb
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
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