Dictionary

denigrate en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈdɛn.ɪ.ɡɹeɪ̯t/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈden.ɪ.ɡɹæɪ̯t/ (Australia)
• (US) audio
• /ˈdɛn.ɪ.ɡɹet/ (Scotland)
• /ˈden.ə.ɡɹæɪ̯t/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈden.ɪ.ɡɹeɪ̯t/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, also)
• dĕn′ĭ-grāt
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Derived from Latin dēnigrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēnigrō (“to blacken”) [see -ate (verb-forming suffix)], from dē- (“of; from”) + nigrō (“to blacken”) [from niger (“black”)]. Cognate with Middle English denigart(e) (“darkened, discolored”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) Blackened.

Forms

denigrate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈdɛn.ɪ.ɡɹeɪ̯t/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈden.ɪ.ɡɹæɪ̯t/ (Australia)
• (US) audio
• /ˈdɛn.ɪ.ɡɹet/ (Scotland)
• /ˈden.ə.ɡɹæɪ̯t/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈden.ɪ.ɡɹeɪ̯t/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, also)
• dĕn′ĭ-grāt
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Derived from Latin dēnigrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēnigrō (“to blacken”) [see -ate (verb-forming suffix)], from dē- (“of; from”) + nigrō (“to blacken”) [from niger (“black”)]. Cognate with Middle English denigart(e) (“darkened, discolored”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.
   • What grand engines they were! Yet I have noticed a disposition on the part of quite a diversity of present-day commentators to denigrate those engines. 1960 May 14, O. S. Nock, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 343:
   • Although in public Soviet officials tend to denigrate the French electric locomotives imported recently, there is little doubt that lessons learnt from these engines will be incorporated in new Russian designs. 1963 January, “Beyond the Channel: U.S.S.R.”, in Modern Railways, page 62:
2. (transitive) To treat as worthless; belittle, degrade or disparage.
   • You have no right to denigrate people and things that you have no personal experience with.
3. (qualifier:literal, rare, transitive) To blacken.

Forms

Deriveds

denigratory · denigration · denigrator · denigrative

Synonyms

revile · blackwash · understate · forswart · slander · besmear · swarten · besmirch · dirty · unflatter · nigrify · blemish · depreciate · cloud · talk shit · swart · drag through the mud · make light of · vilipend · calumny · smirch · slag · monsterize · make little of · bagatellize · black · deprave · lilliputianize · defame · blaze · backbite · deprecate · make nothing of · scandal · calumniate · disparage · play down · forspeak · sully · stab · malign · denigrate · blacken · blatch · trash-talk · chat shite · disparage · derogate · downplay · black · denigrate · infuscate · infamize · discredit · blame · speak ill of · de-emphasize · disgrace · shit-talk · minimize · lampoon · foul · slander · detract · besmirch · badmouth · badmouth · cut down · muddy · blacken · set at nought · stain · vilipend · villainize · forswart · black up · demonize · blur · traduce · talk shite · smear · diss · degrade · superficialize · disrepute · dispraise · asperse · torch · banalize · wrong · vilify · blot · reproach · belittle · tarnish · bletch · spot · libel · banalize · underplay · forgab · underestimate · denigrate · befoul · nigrify · spatter · pitch · belibel · assassinate · bewray · talk trash · deprecate · chat shit · trivialize

Translations (97)

hu mocskol (to criticize so as to besmirch) · de verleumden (to criticize so as to besmirch) · cs znevažovat (to treat as worthless) · mi whakarōriki (to criticize so as to besmirch) · fi mustata (to blacken) · nb rakke ned (to criticize so as to besmirch) · pl oczerniać (to criticize so as to besmirch) · nb sverte (to criticize so as to besmirch) · it denigrare (to criticize so as to besmirch) · pt denegrir (to treat as worthless) · nl kleineren (to treat as worthless) · bg почерням (to blacken) · mi whakahāwea (to criticize so as to besmirch) · fr rabaisser (to treat as worthless) · tr aşağılamak (to treat as worthless) · es denigrar (to treat as worthless) · pl pomniejszyć (to treat as worthless) · es denigrar (to criticize so as to besmirch) · cmn 詆毀 /诋毁 (to criticize so as to besmirch) · ru преуменьшать (to treat as worthless) · sv racka ned på (to criticize so as to besmirch) · mk понижува (to treat as worthless) · hy սևացնել (to criticize so as to besmirch) · tr kara çalmak (to treat as worthless) · hu befeketít (to blacken) · gd dèan dìmeas air (to treat as worthless) · ru клевета́ть (to criticize so as to besmirch) · fi mustata (to criticize so as to besmirch) · hy սևացնել (to blacken) · hu elbagatellizál (to treat as worthless) · hu befeketít (to criticize so as to besmirch) · sh ocrniti (to criticize so as to besmirch) · mi whakahahani (to criticize so as to besmirch) · fr médire (to criticize so as to besmirch) · fr noircir (to blacken) · de verunglimpfen (to criticize so as to besmirch) · cmn 玷污 (to criticize so as to besmirch) · nl denigreren (to treat as worthless) · ota آشاغیلامق (to treat as worthless) · mk оцр́нува (to criticize so as to besmirch) · fr dénigrer (to criticize so as to besmirch) · de anschwärzen (to blacken) · pl umniejszać (to treat as worthless) · fi pimentää (to blacken) · de herabsetzen (to treat as worthless) · nl zwartmaken (to blacken) · hu szidalmaz (to criticize so as to besmirch) · cs pošpinit (to criticize so as to besmirch) · mi whakatoihara (to criticize so as to besmirch) · de in Verruf bringen (to criticize so as to besmirch) · tr karalamak (to blacken) · it parlare male (to criticize so as to besmirch) · it sparlare (to criticize so as to besmirch) · hu lefitymál (to treat as worthless) · mk омаловажува (to treat as worthless) · hu gyaláz (to criticize so as to besmirch) · tr iftira etmek (to treat as worthless) · pt denegrir (to criticize so as to besmirch) · hu megrágalmaz (to criticize so as to besmirch) · mi whakatūtūā (to treat as worthless) · de verleumden (to treat as worthless) · ru принижать (to treat as worthless) · de anschwärzen (to criticize so as to besmirch) · ru нагова́ривать (to criticize so as to besmirch) · it criticare (to criticize so as to besmirch) · ru умалять (to treat as worthless) · hu lekicsinyel (to treat as worthless) · fr déprécier (to treat as worthless) · fr dénigrer (to treat as worthless) · hu bagatellizál (to treat as worthless) · mi whakatakē (to criticize so as to besmirch) · fi mustamaalata (to criticize so as to besmirch) · hu szapul (to criticize so as to besmirch) · ru черни́ть (to blacken) · pl uwłaczać (to criticize so as to besmirch) · ca denigrar (to criticize so as to besmirch) · sv svärta ner (to criticize so as to besmirch) · tr siyahlatmak (to blacken) · de verunglimpfen (to treat as worthless) · nl denigreren (to criticize so as to besmirch) · hu pocskondiáz (to treat as worthless) · de besudeln (to criticize so as to besmirch) · tr karalamak (to criticize so as to besmirch) · mk оцр́нува (to blacken) · mi whakamanumanu (to treat as worthless) · ar سَوَّدَ (to blacken) · gl denegrir (to blacken) · fi vähätellä (to treat as worthless) · bg очерням (to criticize so as to besmirch) · hu ócsárol (to treat as worthless) · ru очерня́ть (to criticize so as to besmirch) · hu rágalmaz (to criticize so as to besmirch) · hu becsmérel (to criticize so as to besmirch) · nl kleineren (to criticize so as to besmirch) · it diffamare (to criticize so as to besmirch) · ja 侮辱する (to criticize so as to besmirch) · bg омаловажавам (to treat as worthless)