discredit

[dis-kred-it]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discredit ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to injure the credit or reputation of; defame: an effort to discredit honest politicians.

to show to be undeserving of trust or belief; destroy confidence in: Later research discredited earlier theories.

to give no credence to; disbelieve: There was good reason to discredit the witness.

noun

loss or lack of belief or confidence; disbelief; distrust: His theories met with general discredit.

loss or lack of repute or esteem; disrepute.

something that damages a good reputation: This behavior will be a discredit to your good name.

Nearby words

Origin of discredit

First recorded in 1550–60; dis-¹ + credit

SYNONYMS FOR discredit

1. disparage, disgrace, tarnish, undermine.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discredit ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsun·dis·cred·it·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for discredit

In its attempt to discredit the story, the JPO inadvertently confirmed that fact.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I had no memory of the other two, and that information was used to discredit my recollection of what had happened to me.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Ralph Retort, a paragon of ethical journalism websites, decided to make crowdsourcing stuff to discredit me into a project.
Rage Against GamerGate’s Hate Machine: What I Got For Speaking Up|Arthur Chu|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of the things that these enemies of Islam are trying to discredit and eliminate is the hejab.
Saudi Activist Manal Al-Sharif on Why She Removed the Veil|Manal Al Sharif, Advancing Human Rights|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

That was the playbook the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth used to discredit then-Sen.
The (Sloppy) Swift-Boating of Michigan Democrat Gary Peters|Tim Mak|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Impostors alone can pronounce it necessary to discredit experience and reject reason.
Christianity Unveiled|Nicolas-Antoine Boulanger
There is more or less effort to discredit books as educative tools and to lay emphasis on oral instruction and manual training.
A Librarian's Open Shelf|Arthur E. Bostwick
The story reads like a romance, which, however, is no reason for receiving it with discredit.
Royal Edinburgh|Margaret Oliphant
To my mind, however, it redounded more to the credit of America than to its discredit.
The Land of Contrasts|James Fullarton Muirhead
These two men felt it necessary to discredit Jackson in every possible way.
The Middle Period 1817-1858|John William Burgess

British Dictionary definitions for discredit

discredit

verb (tr)

to damage the reputation of

to cause to be disbelieved or distrusted

to reject as untrue or of questionable accuracy

noun

a person, thing, or state of affairs that causes disgrace

damage to a reputation

lack of belief or confidence

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

Word Origin and History for discredit

discredit

1550s, from dis- "opposite of" + credit. Related: Discredited; discrediting; discreditable; discreditably.

discredit

verb (used with object)

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of discredit

Examples from the Web for discredit

discredit

verb (tr)

noun

discredit