denigrate

American  

[den-i-greyt] / ˈdɛn ɪˌgreɪt /

verb (used with object)

denigrated, denigrating

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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Related Words

See decry.

Other Word Forms

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

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

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

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

But certainly, my script is not in an effort to denigrate Maggie’s experience.

From Salon • Oct. 17, 2025

Yet in almost Cooperian fashion, “Irascible” goes out of its way to denigrate Richardson—an approach that sits awkwardly with Richardson’s formidable record of art scholarship, including his four-volume “A Life of Picasso.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Climbers who snidely denigrate this as the Yak Route, I decided, had obviously never been through the Khumbu Icefall.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

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