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Synonyms

disparagingly

American  
[dih-spar-i-jing-lee] / dɪˈspær ɪ dʒɪŋ li /

adverb

  1. in a way that belittles or insults someone or something; disdainfully.

    Neither parent should speak disparagingly of the other parent to the children or in their hearing.

Etymology

Origin of disparagingly

First recorded in 1700–10; disparaging ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

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.

One record exec at the time disparagingly called it a “rock version of a corporate merger.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025

The South Africans blamed the deaths of 14 of their soldiers on the Rwandan Defense Forces, which President Cyril Ramaphosa disparagingly referred to as the "RDF militia."

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2025

Trump had been expected to testify as early as Monday about why he has spoken disparagingly about Carroll since she revealed her claims in a 2019 memoir.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 22, 2024

He has quoted the Fed’s Twitter posts disparagingly.

From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2023

“It’s about as serious as a frostburn,” Bast said disparagingly.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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.