disparage
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to speak contemptuously of; belittle
-
to damage the reputation of
Other Word Forms
- disparagement noun
- disparager noun
- disparaging adjective
- disparagingly adverb
- undisparaged adjective
Etymology
Origin of disparage
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French desparag(i)er “to match unequally,” from des- dis- 1 + -parag(i)er, verb derivative of parage “equal rank,” also “high birth, noble descent” ( see peerage)
Explanation
If you haven't got anything nice to say, then it's time to disparage someone. It means to belittle or degrade a person or idea. Disparage is a specific way to describe a certain kind of insult, the kind that secures the insulter's place as superior. It often refers to an opinion or criticism lobbed in print or via word of mouth, not necessarily an act done to someone's face. If someone or something is being disparaged, you will often find a competing interest in the wings.
Vocabulary lists containing disparage
The Bill of Rights
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Grade 11, List 2
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All About That Baseless: Bad-Faith Accusations
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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.
Spielberg, for his part, was careful not to disparage streaming.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
USA men's ice hockey player Brady Tkachuk has distanced himself from an AI-enhanced White House video in which he appears to disparage Canadians, saying "those words would never come out of my mouth".
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
Hemani argued the dismissal was correct and prosecutors made inflammatory allegations to disparage him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025
Despite the verdict, Giuliani has continued to disparage election workers, as well as withhold information on some of his assets, leading the judge overseeing Thursday's scheduled trial to find him in contempt.
From Salon • Jan. 16, 2025
This caused perhaps the most publicized dissent against the Lazarus woodpecker, with op-ed pieces running weekly in the paper to disparage John Barling and his mob of birdwatcher friends.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
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.
