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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

pejorative en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /pɪˈd͡ʒɑɹ.ə.tɪv/ (uncommon)
  • /pɪˈd͡ʒɒɹətɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /pɪˈd͡ʒoɹətɪv/ (General-American)
  • /pəˈd͡ʒoɹətəv/ weak vowel merger
  • (UK) audio

Etymology

From Late Latin peiōrātus (“worsened”, past participle of peiōrāre (“worsen”), from Latin peior (“worse”)) + -ive. Compare French péjoratif (“depreciative, disparaging”). By surface analysis, pejorate + -ive.

Meanings

  1. Disparaging, belittling or derogatory.
    • These days, on platforms like X, slopulism is a pejorative label often applied to posts by politicians and pundits alike, anyone who shares out lowest-common-denominator ideas designed to appeal to loyal political bases. 2026 February 13, Nathan Taylor Pemberton, “When Posting Becomes Its Own Style of Politics”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 14 Feb 2026:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more pejorative Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most pejorative Degree=Sup lexicographic

Antonyms

meliorative · approbative · ameliorative · eulogistic

Deriveds

nonpejorative · pejorativeness · unpejorative · pejorativization · pejoratively

Synonyms

derogatory · disrespectful · dyslogistic

Translations (53)

ko 경멸어 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · fr péjoratif (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · mk пејорати́вен (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · uk прини́зливий (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · fi halventava (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ja 軽蔑的な (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · tr pejoratif (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · de abwertend (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · fi väheksyvä (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · bg неодобрителен (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · de pejorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · tr ablak (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · pt pejorativo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ja 侮蔑的な (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · tr aşağılayıcı (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · bg омаловажаващ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · nn nedsetjande (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · nb nedsettende (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · de verschlimmernd (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ml അപകീർത്തികരമായ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · cmn 貶義的 /贬义的 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · sv pejorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · fi pejoratiivinen (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · el μειωτικός (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · fi alentava (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · tr küçültücü (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ru уничижи́тельный (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · tr yermeli (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · nl kleinerend denigrerend (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ja 侮辱的な (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · cmn 輕蔑的 /轻蔑的 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · tr alçaltıcı (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · pl pejoratywny (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · gl pexorativo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · hu pejoratív (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · de abschätzig (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ru неодобри́тельный (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · sv nedsättande (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · mk погрден (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · it peggiorativo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ro peiorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · es peyorativo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · el υποτιμητικός (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · cs pejorativní (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · da nedsættende (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · de herabsetzend (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · de verschlechternd (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · el εξευτελιστικός (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · uk лайли́вий (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ko 경멸적인 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · it riduttivo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ru презри́тельный (disparaging, belittling or derogatory) · ca pejoratiu (disparaging, belittling or derogatory)

pejorative en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /pɪˈd͡ʒɑɹ.ə.tɪv/ (uncommon)
  • /pɪˈd͡ʒɒɹətɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /pɪˈd͡ʒoɹətɪv/ (General-American)
  • /pəˈd͡ʒoɹətəv/ weak vowel merger
  • (UK) audio

Etymology

From Late Latin peiōrātus (“worsened”, past participle of peiōrāre (“worsen”), from Latin peior (“worse”)) + -ive. Compare French péjoratif (“depreciative, disparaging”). By surface analysis, pejorate + -ive.

Meanings

  1. A disparaging, belittling, or derogatory word or expression.
    • “Get away from me, freak.” “Actually, my designation is Logic-y. I take issue with the pejorative when I am simply a product of your self-inflicted bifurcation.” 2023 October 12, Edgar Momplaisir, “A Few Badgeys More” (15:59 from the start), in Star Trek: Lower Decks, season 4, episode 7, spoken by Logic-y (Jack McBrayer):

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
pejoratives Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

euphemism · approvative

Synonyms

dysphemism · dyslogism

Translations (32)

cs pejorativum (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · ja 軽蔑 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · fi haukkumasana (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · uk лайли́ве сло́во (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · no pejorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · de Pejorativum (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · tr aşağılama (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · cmn 輕蔑語 /轻蔑语 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · uk ла́йка (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · cmn 輕蔑詞 /轻蔑词 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · ja 侮蔑 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · it peggiorativo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · uk прини́зливе сло́во (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · cmn 貶義語 /贬义语 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · sh pejorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · sv pejorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · da nedsættende udsagn (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · ja 侮辱 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · pt pejorativo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · af pejoratief (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · da pejorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · cmn 貶義詞 /贬义词 (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · tr hakaret (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · it spregiativo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · mk пејорати́в (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · sh pežorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · nl pejoratief (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · sh пежоратив (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · fi pejoratiivi (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · sh пејоратив (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · ro peiorativ (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression) · es peyorativo (disparaging, belittling or derogatory word or expression)