discredit

[dis-kred-it]

verb (used with object)

1. to injure the credit or reputation of; defame.

   an effort to discredit honest politicians.

   Synonyms: undermine, tarnish, disgrace, disparage

2. to show to be undeserving of trust or belief; destroy confidence in.

   Later research discredited earlier theories.

3. to give no credence to; disbelieve.

   There was good reason to discredit the witness.

noun

1. loss or lack of belief or confidence; disbelief; distrust.

   His theories met with general discredit.

2. loss or lack of repute or esteem; disrepute.

3. something that damages a good reputation.

   This behavior will be a discredit to your good name.

discredit

/ dɪsˈkrɛdɪt /

verb

1. to damage the reputation of

2. to cause to be disbelieved or distrusted

3. to reject as untrue or of questionable accuracy

noun

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

2. damage to a reputation

3. lack of belief or confidence

Other Word Forms

• undiscredited adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of discredit¹

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

Example Sentences

Police standards say officers' behaviour must not "discredit the police service or undermine public confidence, whether on or off duty".

From BBC

After a contentious discussion that at times referenced discredited theories, low-quality data and desperate pleas from physicians and patients to rely upon sound science, a key committee of the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Far from discredited, he was deemed to have acted honorably.

From Salon

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used discredited and misrepresented studies to justify canceling research into life-giving vaccines.

From Los Angeles Times

Some critics interpreted the ads as a play on eugenics, the discredited belief that humanity could be improved through selective breeding.

From BBC

Related Words

• defame 
• degrade 
• destroy 
• disgrace 
• disparage 
• disprove 
• ruin 
• slander 
• smear 
• vilify