Dictionary

disparagingly en · ADV

Etymology

Etymology tree English disparaging Middle English -ly English -ly English disparagingly From disparaging + -ly.

Meanings

1. Insultingly.
   • During the American Revolution, the British called the colonists "Yankees," a term with a history that is still in dispute. While the British intended it disparagingly, the Americans, in perhaps the first historical instance of reclamation, made the word their own and gave it a positive spin, turning the derisive song "Yankee Doodle" into our first, if unofficial, national anthem. 2004 May 18, Robin Tolmach Lakoff, “ESSAY; From Ancient Greece to Iraq, the Power of Words in Wartime”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 09 Mar 2021:
   • The candidate spoke of his opponent disparagingly.
   • Sadie wrestled with the door's defective lock, saying disparagingly, "You seem to be making the running with doctors these days. Where did you pick up that one?" 1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 91:
   • In fact, it's often somewhat disparagingly called "Boz Angeles" for the many Californians and celebrities that have come to town, as well as its perceived "fanciness" in relation to the rest of the state. 2020 March 5, Sophie-Claire Hoeller, “I spent 3 days in Bozeman, Montana, aka 'Boz Angeles.' Here's what surprised me most about one of the fastest-growing cities in the US.”, in Insider, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2024:

Forms

Synonyms

degradingly · insultingly