derogatory
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of derogatory
First recorded in 1495–1505; from Late Latin dērogātōrius “belonging to a repeal”; equivalent to derogate + -tory 1
Explanation
Something that's derogatory is insulting or disrespectful. If you make derogatory comments, that means you say things that are unflattering, unkind, or demeaning. Derogatory means about the same as insulting. Derogatory language is meant to hurt, and it usually does. If you feel offended or insulted by what someone says, the person probably said something derogatory. Racial, sexist, and homophobic slurs are all derogatory. Insults that mean someone is stupid or crazy are derogatory. Making a joke about someone's mother is derogatory.
Vocabulary lists containing derogatory
Of Mice and Men
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"Of Mice and Men"
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Grade 9, List 5
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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.
"To us, he remains the General 200," a derogatory nickname referring to a Soviet military code for casualties.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
A Northern California school district is moving to maintain a high school team nickname and mascot as a new state law goes into effect banning the use of derogatory terms depicting Indigenous Americans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Justice Elena Kagan, dissenting from the court’s ruling, cited numerous derogatory statements that Trump has made about Haiti.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
“Worst-case scenario is that the sort of information that they are reporting, including the ‘no data available,’ provides, essentially, derogatory information to potential creditors and future landlords,” Dempsey said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
Although the Shangaans are a proud and noble tribe, at the time, Shangaan was considered a derogatory term.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
