disparage

verb

dis·​par·​age di-ˈsper-ij How to pronounce disparage (audio)
-ˈspa-rij
disparaged; disparaging; disparages
Synonyms of disparagenext

transitive verb

1
: to belittle the importance or value of (someone or something) : to speak slightingly about (someone or something)
disparaged his opponent
religious beliefs disparaged as superstition
… drew fire this month for disparaging the company's theme parks as "cheap day-care centers for teenagers" …—Lisa Fickenscher
2
: to lower (someone or something) in rank or reputation : degrade
Mr Miles said changing the hospital's name was not designed to disparage the name or recognition of Lady Cilento.—Lucy Stone
disparagement
di-ˈsper-ij-mənt How to pronounce disparage (audio)
-ˈspa-rij-
noun
disparager noun

Did you know?

In Middle English, to "disparage" someone meant causing that person to marry someone of inferior rank. Disparage derives from the Anglo-French word desparager, meaning "to marry below one's class." Desparager, in turn, combines the negative prefix des- with parage (meaning "equality" or "lineage"), which itself comes from per, meaning "peer." The original "marriage" sense of disparage is now obsolete, but a closely-related sense (meaning "to lower in rank or reputation") survives in modern English. By the 16th century, English speakers (including William Shakespeare) were also using disparage to mean simply "to belittle."

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for disparage

decry, depreciate, disparage, belittle mean to express a low opinion of.

decry implies open condemnation with intent to discredit.

decried their defeatist attitude

depreciate implies a representing as being of less value than commonly believed.

critics depreciate his plays for being unabashedly sentimental

disparage implies depreciation by indirect means such as slighting or invidious comparison.

disparaged polo as a game for the rich

belittle usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude.

belittled the achievements of others

Examples of disparage in a Sentence

Voters don't like political advertisements in which opponents disparage one another. It's a mistake to disparage their achievements. The article disparaged polo as a game for the wealthy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Musk’s disparaging comments about NASA and the success of his Falcon 9 rocket in fulfilling NASA contracts have space watchers wondering if Musk’s aim is to effectively replace NASA’s operational arms with his own company. —Peter Green, Quartz, 25 Nov. 2024 His wife, Sarah, caught wind of some of the disparaging comments that were directed at the Bengals coach. —Chantz Martin, Fox News, 10 Nov. 2024 Past patterns in early and mail-in voting may not be a good predictor of this year’s outcome, however: The Trump campaign publicly disparaged mail-in voting in 2020, so Democrats dominated in those tallies, but both sides have embraced it in 2024. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 In August, Iranian operatives were caught creating fake websites and social media content that disparaged Trump. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for disparage 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to degrade by marriage below one's class, disparage, from Anglo-French desparager to marry below one's class, from des- dis- + parage equality, lineage, from per peer

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of disparage was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near disparage

dispalatalization

disparage

disparaging

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Disparage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disparage. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

disparage

verb
dis·​par·​age dis-ˈpar-ij How to pronounce disparage (audio)
disparaged; disparaging
1
: to lower in rank : degrade
2
: to speak of as unimportant or not much good : belittle
disparaged the performance
disparagement
-mənt How to pronounce disparage (audio)
noun
disparaging adjective
disparagingly
-ij-iŋ-lē How to pronounce disparage (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on disparage

Nglish: Translation of disparage for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of disparage for Arabic Speakers

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