denigrate
verb
Did you know?
If you "denigrate" someone, you attempt to blacken their reputation. It makes sense, therefore, that "denigrate" can be traced back to the Latin verb denigrare, meaning "to blacken." When "denigrate" was first used in English in the 16th century, it meant to cast aspersions on someone's character or reputation. Eventually, it developed a second sense of "to make black" ("factory smoke denigrated the sky"), but this sense is somewhat rare in modern usage. Nowadays, of course, "denigrate" can also refer to belittling the worth or importance of someone or something.
Synonyms
Examples of denigrate in a Sentence
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 July 2024
Other remarks by him that appeared to denigrate communities in the southern part of Italy angered left-wing politicians, leading to pushback.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2024
But on Thursday, the country will sit down not to learn about who the two men vying for the White House are but rather to listen to them, once again, throw sharp elbows as each tries to denigrate the other’s administration.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 25 June 2024
This is hardly the first time someone has been caught denigrating ancient structures.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for denigrate 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'denigrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Denigrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denigrate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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