pejorative

[ pi-jawr-uh-tiv, -jor-, pej-uh-rey-, pee-juh- ]

adjective

1. having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force:

   the pejorative affix -ling in princeling.

   Synonyms: deprecatory

noun

1. a pejorative form or word, as poetaster.

pejorative

/ ˈpiːdʒər-; pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv /

adjective

1. (of words, expressions, etc) having an unpleasant or disparaging connotation

noun

1. a pejorative word, expression, etc

Derived Forms

• peˈjoratively, adverb

Other Words From

• pe·jora·tive·ly adverb
• nonpe·jora·tive adjective
• nonpe·jora·tive·ly adverb
• unpe·jora·tive adjective
• unpe·jora·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of pejorative¹

First recorded in 1880–85; from Latin pējōrāt(us) “made worse” ( pejoration ) + -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of pejorative¹

C19: from French péjoratif, from Late Latin pējōrātus, past participle of pējōrāre to make worse, from Latin pēior worse

Example Sentences

Now, as you know well, for many people, the very word “shortcut” is a pejorative.

From Freakonomics

It takes courage to be your true self when your identity has been used as an insult or a pejorative.

From No Straight News

The Senate bill, meanwhile, makes it a felony for many people to engage in “vote harvesting,” a pejorative term for picking up another person’s absentee ballot and taking it to a polling place.

From Vox

The ridicule goes back to the very origins of the word ham, a pejorative that professional radio operators at the beginning of the 20th century used to single out amateurs with “ham-fisted” Morse-code skills.

From Outside Online

The entire Lifeline program has come under fire from opponents starting during the Obama administration, when it gained the pejorative nickname, “Obama phone.”

From Popular-Science

At its most pejorative, the term describes a uniquely disposable kind of young gay man: Hairless, guileless, witless.

From The Daily Beast

In Spanish the word joke (broma) is not at all pejorative, it is playful.

From The Daily Beast

The late Andrew Breitbart even offered a $100,000 reward for audio or video of Lewis being called a racial pejorative.

From The Daily Beast

“A Billy Collins poem” has even been used as a pejorative term in certain workshop settings.

From The Daily Beast

Grossman is quick to point out that he does not consider the term “sheep” a pejorative.

From The Daily Beast

He consistently uses "Jew" as a pejorative adjective instead of "Jewish."

From Project Gutenberg

But given its age and its purpose this ought not to be construed in the contemporary, pejorative sense.

From Project Gutenberg

This term is a pejorative which may be applied also to the exercise of our other senses.

From Project Gutenberg

Alternatively, Professor A. Dalzell points out to me that illa could have a pejorative sense.

From Project Gutenberg