denigrate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame.
to denigrate someone's character.
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to treat or represent as lacking in value or importance; belittle; disparage.
to denigrate someone's contributions to a project.
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Archaic. to make black; darken.
rain clouds denigrating the sky.
verb
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(tr) to belittle or disparage the character of; defame
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a rare word for blacken
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
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.
But Ms. Glendon does not denigrate rights; far from it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 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
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
And they don’t denigrate that person—they honor her.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
