discredit

[ dis-kred-it ]

/ dɪsˈkrɛd ɪt /

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

discovery day, discovery inlet, discovery method, discovery procedure, discreate, discredit, discreditable, discreet, discrepancy, discrepant, discrete

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 forms

un·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

/ (dɪsˈkrɛdɪt) /

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