denigrate

American  

[den-i-grayt] / ˈdɛn ɪˌgreɪt /

verb (used with object)

• denigrates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• denigrated,
  past participle,  past
• denigrating
  present participle

1. to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame.

   to denigrate someone's character.

   Synonyms:

   vilify, disparage, traduce, slander, besmirch, malign

2. to treat or represent as lacking in value or importance; belittle; disparage.

   to denigrate someone's contributions to a project.

3. Archaic. to make black; darken.

   rain clouds denigrating the sky.

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denigrate British  

/ ˈdɛnɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to belittle or disparage the character of; defame

2. a rare word for blacken

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Synonym Usage

See decry.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• denigration
  noun
• denigrator
  noun
• denigrative
  adjective
• denigratory
  adjective
• self-denigrating
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• denigrating
  present
• denigrated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• denigrate
  simple
• denigrates
  simple
• have denigrated
  perfect
• has denigrated
  perfect
• am denigrating
  progressive
• are denigrating
  progressive
• is denigrating
  progressive
• have been denigrating
  perfect progressive
• has been denigrating
  perfect progressive

Past

• denigrated
  simple
• had denigrated
  perfect
• was denigrating
  progressive
• were denigrating
  progressive
• had been denigrating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will denigrate
  simple
• will have denigrated
  perfect
• will be denigrating
  progressive
• will have been denigrating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of denigrate

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin dēnigrātus (past participle of dēnigrāre “to blacken”), equivalent to dē- de- + nigr(āre) “to make black” + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

To denigrate is to say bad things — true or false — about a person or thing. Your reputation as a math whiz might be hurt if your jealous classmate manages to denigrate you, even though the accusations are unfounded. The verb denigrate comes from the Latin word denigrare, which means “to blacken.” To sully or defame someone’s reputation, or to spread negative or hurtful information about a company or a situation, is to denigrate it. Your neighbors may denigrate your proposal for mandatory recycling in an attempt to stop your plan. Denigrate can also mean that you're making something seem less important, like when your brother tries to denigrate your athletic achievements.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

denigrate denigrates denigrated denigrating

"You should not denigrate people who disagree with you; you should reason with them."

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

After a week of hearing various US officials denigrate Europe, its leaders and its regulations at Davos, ECB chief Christine Lagarde said Friday that the harsh words could be just what the continent needed.

From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026

Films are poignant and important, no matter how much the institutions designed to award them have come to denigrate them.

From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026

Netflix didn’t just become HBO—it won HBO, and will now denigrate the quality of that house in the process while swallowing up another formidable competitor.

From Slate ● Dec. 5, 2025

Inventors thereby have a financial incentive to denigrate or ignore previous work.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

A spokesperson for the ASA said: "We've received a complaint about a Nationwide ad. The complainant argues that the ad is misleading around other banks closing branches, and discredits and denigrates its competitors."

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2024

“It denigrates the millions of victims of the Shoah in a despicable manner,” the council’s president, Josef Schuster, said, using the Hebrew name for the Holocaust.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 29, 2023

The ADL tweeted that Crawford “should be ashamed of her rhetoric that undermines science and denigrates the suffering of millions murdered during the Holocaust.”

From Washington Times ● Oct. 5, 2021

It also means being aware of language that may seem neutral but subtly devalues or denigrates people.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2021

But he denigrates the state’s landmark California Environmental Quality Act by citing how it interferes with the addition of bike lanes on public roads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2021

Caesar denigrated situation comedies as soap operas with laughs added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025

Last year, Badenoch faced criticism from Nigeria's vice-president, who said she had "denigrated" the West African country.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2025

The very traditional rap song takes the listener through a list of people who have wronged and denigrated the rapper's name.

From Salon ● Dec. 28, 2024

“We need to recognize that there were individuals here that were denigrated and that an apology is due to them.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2024

I know my parents had their reasons to raise us without religion, but it still upsets me to hear my grandmother's peaceful beliefs denigrated.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

The speculation, she says, is "denigrating to their memories".

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

In the lead up to the Super Bowl, boosters of traditional sportsbooks have been denigrating prediction markets.

From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026

“We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2025

Four years later, at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, all nuance was gone; the version of Jefferson on display became a denigrating demonstration of hypocrisy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025

“You’ll learn, young brotha. You’ll learn. The Europeans succeeded in denigrating and enslaving peoples of African descent, but there’s royal blood flowing through your veins, you hear me?”

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• besmirch
• defame
• disparage
• impugn
• slander
• vilify