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.

OTHER WORDS FOR belittle

minimize, decry, deprecate, deride, scorn, dismiss.

See synonyms for belittle on Thesaurus.com

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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

Words nearby belittle

belike, Belinda, Belisarius, Belisha beacon, Belitong, belittle, Belitung, belive, Belize, Belizean, Belize City

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use belittle in a sentence

That would be quite a flex for a guy the world watched drop to the end of the first round on draft day and who was then forced to sit for three years behind an insecure superstar who belittled and disrespected him when he wasn’t ignoring him.
What If Chasing Rivals Keeps Aaron Rodgers In Green Bay? We Made A Metric For That.|Josh Hermsmeyer|July 26, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Male servers were favored over women, who were belittled in front of guests and not given prime tables, the probe found.
Mario Batali and partner settle sexual harassment probe for $600,000|Emily Heil|July 23, 2021|Washington Post
While capable of great charm and generosity, he often seemed to undercut himself with a confrontational, gruff and belittling manner that many found offensive.
Donald H. Rumsfeld, influential but controversial Bush defense secretary, dies at 88|Bradley Graham|June 30, 2021|Washington Post
Q believers see themselves as soldiers fighting for the ultimate cause—and are surrounded by people who validate them, rather than insult or belittle them, or try to fact-check them out of what they think is real.
Why Does the QAnon Conspiracy Thrive Despite All its Unfulfilled Prophecies?|Mike Rothschild|June 30, 2021|Time

Supervisors curse them out and belittle and bully them, they say.
D.C. Mayor Bowser names new chairman of arts commission, which is facing accusations of cronyism and racism|Peggy McGlone|May 20, 2021|Washington Post
And he is probably right to belittle the current round of talks.
Partition Skepticism and the Future of the Peace Process|Avner Inbar, Assaf Sharon|September 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Hand it off to a hen-pecked husband or a put-upon assistant and it can demean or belittle.
The Language of Margaret Thatcher’s Handbags|Robin Givhan|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Yet, Western intelligence tends to belittle them as a bunch of bluffers.
Leslie H. Gelb on Obama’s Dangerous Nuclear Dance|Leslie H. Gelb|April 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Fox News host seemed to belittle Laura Ingraham during an on-air clash about same-sex marriage.
Bill O’Reilly’s Macho Moment in On-Air Confrontation With Laura Ingraham|Lauren Ashburn|April 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This is not a time to complain about or belittle this shift, or, as with Kotkin, to pretend that it is not even taking place.
Did I Abandon My Creative Class Theory? Not So Fast, Joel Kotkin|Richard Florida|March 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She was very woman, and the look of the thing was not nice to her eyes, while it must belittle her in theirs.
You Never Know Your Luck, Complete|Gilbert Parker
This is supposed to refer to an altercation between these two gods, in which they tried to belittle each other.
The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony|Washington Matthews
The man who shuns realities because they belittle him is on the wrong road; he is hopelessly lost from the beginning.
The Iron Puddler|James J. Davis
When they have won the praise of men, pride leads them on to belittle the work of other men and to applaud their own.
Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians|Martin Luther
Weve278 been thundered at, frightened, cursed, and every agency has united to belittle us in our own eyes.
The Wasted Generation|Owen Johnson

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

belittle

OTHER WORDS FOR belittle

Origin of belittle

OTHER WORDS FROM belittle

Words nearby belittle

Words related to belittle

How to use belittle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for belittle

Derived forms of belittle