disparage

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disparage contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of disparage are belittle, decry, and depreciate. While all these words mean "to express a low opinion of," disparage implies depreciation by indirect means such as slighting or invidious comparison.

disparaged polo as a game for the rich

When might belittle be a better fit than disparage?

The meanings of belittle and disparage largely overlap; however, belittle usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude.

belittled the achievements of others

When is decry a more appropriate choice than disparage?

The synonyms decry and disparage are sometimes interchangeable, but decry implies open condemnation with intent to discredit.

decried their defeatist attitude

When is it sensible to use depreciate instead of disparage?

While the synonyms depreciate and disparage are close in meaning, depreciate implies a representing as being of less value than commonly believed.

critics depreciate his plays for being unabashedly sentimental

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of disparage Shooter was Iraq veteran who disparaged LDS church The man police say committed the attack, Thomas Sanford, 40, had served in the Marines and worked as a mechanic in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025 The backlash has led to the removal or resignation of dozens of teachers and professors who allegedly disparaged Kirk or celebrated his death online. Curtis Bunn, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2025 The show, which had run for more than two decades, was shelved indefinitely over a monologue addressing the murder of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk—one in which Kimmel did not disparage Kirk, nor, indeed, comment on him at all. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025 One of the most recent cases includes the high court’s 2017 decision in Matal v Tam, in which the justices ruled that a law preventing trademarks of disparaging terms was unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disparage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disparage
Verb
  • And Tucker Carlson has gained attention with his own programming distributed via social and digital media, Their audiences can be smaller and more disparate than the ones that come to mainstream news outlets, but in an era of cord-cutting, their niche power is not to be dismissed.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
  • In February, following a SAG Award win for her breakout role in Shōgun, Anna Sawai dismissed rumors that she had been cast as Yoko Ono for the film series.
    Sophie Williams, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • SpaceX took steps to minimize the chances that the problem would recur on Flight 8.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The Brooke High Rise Straight, a narrow straight leg, is finished with laser technology to minimize water usage.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bean and squash yields (as measured by weight) were reduced when intercropped with maize, while maize yields were only slightly diminished when intercropped.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Since leaving the British royal family in 2020 and stepping down from their roles as senior members of The Firm, Harry and Meghan have faced backlash for their media ventures and transition into Hollywood, with many criticizing the couple’s lack of views on their Netflix content.
    Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Beijing has long criticized Washington for exerting control beyond its borders through export rules that bar third-country companies from supplying China with chips made using American technology.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That’s not to denigrate Punch, which is solidly built and well-meaning without sanctimony.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
  • They were recognized leaders of an artistic movement denigrated by Nazi leadership as Marxist-Jewish decadence.
    Christopher C. Gorham September 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement Instead of being celebrated as trailblazers, these women are mocked by the press, underestimated by their colleagues, and belittled by society at large.
    Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Our foul, flatulent father-figure may exaggerate a bit when belittling his enemies (and friends, for that matter), but cloaked under his aura of filth — like an adult Pig-Pen’s toxic dust cloud — rests a core truth.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disparage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disparage. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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