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Synonyms

derogatory

American  
[dih-rog-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / dɪˈrɒg əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

  1. tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing; disparaging; depreciatory.

    a derogatory remark.
    Synonyms:
    uncomplimentary
derogatory British  
/ -trɪ, dɪˈrɒɡətərɪ /

adjective

  1. tending or intended to detract, disparage, or belittle; intentionally offensive

"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

Other Word Forms

  • derogatorily adverb
  • derogatoriness noun
  • nonderogatorily adverb
  • nonderogatorilyness noun
  • nonderogatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of derogatory

First recorded in 1495–1505; from Late Latin dērogātōrius “belonging to a repeal”; equivalent to derogate + -tory 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.

That derogatory view wasn't correct then and it is even further from the truth now.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

She added, “To its credit, the Government does not defend President Trump’s derogatory statements. No one rationally could.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

I grew up calling it elaichi with such disdain that those unfamiliar with its English translation would’ve thought it was something utterly derogatory.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026

Donovan Louis Bazemore, portraying Auggie’s friend Jack, who in a moment of peer-pressure weakness made a viciously derogatory comment about Auggie, makes you feel his remorse and confusion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

“Sixers” was the derogatory nickname gunters had given to employees of Innovative Online Industries.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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.