disparaging

adjective

dis·​par·​ag·​ing di-ˈsper-i-jiŋ 

-ˈspa-ri-

: meant to belittle the value or importance of someone or something : serving or intended to disparage someone or something

a disparaging term/word

… disparaging comments from ordinarily sane and sympathetic critics …

—Isaiah Berlin

Legally, I also can't say anything about the company that could be construed as disparaging.

—Chuck Klosterman

disparagingly adverb

a term often used disparagingly

People in my field … have a tendency to take lightly and often disparagingly the efforts of workers in the so-called social sciences.

—Lewis Thomas

Synonyms

• belittling
• contemptuous
• decrying
• degrading
• demeaning
• denigrative
• denigratory
• deprecatory
• depreciative
• depreciatory
• derisory
• derogative
• derogatory
• detractive
• disdainful
• pejorative
• scornful
• slighting
• uncomplimentary

Examples of disparaging in a Sentence

disparaging comments about the lack of talent among the musical performers

Recent Examples on the Web

Prior to appearing on Cunningham's show on Monday, Huggins made more disparaging remarks about Xavier. —Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 10 May 2023

Will Smith was given the Golden Raspberry Awards’ lone non-disparaging prize, with Smith earning the Redeemer Award after landing an actual Oscar nod for his role in King RIchard; Nicolas Cage and Jamie Dornan were also considered for the quasi-honor. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2022

As a former prosecutor in New York City and a professor of law at West Point, Tim Bakken believes that most people find solace in casting the most disparaging label possible upon an adversary. —Howard Manly, The Conversation, 20 Dec. 2022

Scam victims could be called innocent to the misdeeds of the net, but being deemed gullible is the more disparaging and stubborn charge. —Hannah Zeavin, Harper’s Magazine , 22 June 2022

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1596, in the meaning defined above