denigrate - Definitions from Dictionary.com

6 results for: denigrate

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

den·i·grate

Audio Help [den-i-greyt] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used with object), -grat·ed, -grat·ing.

1.	to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame: to denigrate someone's character.

2.	to treat or represent as lacking in value or importance; belittle; disparage: to denigrate someone's contributions to a project.

3.	to make black; blacken: rain clouds denigrating the sky.

[Origin: 1520–30; < L dénigrātus (ptp. of dénigrāre to blacken), equiv. to dé- de- + nigr(āre) to make black + -ātus -ate¹

]

—Related forms

den·i·gra·tion, noun

den·i·gra·tive, adjective

den·i·gra·tor, noun

den·i·gra·to·ry

Audio Help [den-i-gruh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] Pronunciation Key, adjective

—Synonyms 1. malign, besmirch, slander, traduce, disparage, vilify. See decry.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
denigrate

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

den·i·grate Audio Help (děn'ĭ-grāt') Pronunciation Key
tr.v. den·i·grat·ed, den·i·grat·ing, den·i·grates

To attack the character or reputation of; speak ill of; defame.
To disparage; belittle: The critics have denigrated our efforts.

[Latin dēnigrāre, dēnigrāt-, to blacken, defame : dē-, de- + niger, nigr-, black; see nek^w-t- in Indo-European roots.]

den'i·gra'tion n., den'i·gra'tor n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
denigrate

1526, from L. denigratus, pp. of denigrare "to blacken, defame," from de- "completely" + nigr-, stem of niger "black," of unknown origin. "Apparently disused in 18th c. and revived in 19th c." [OED].

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

denigrate
verb
1.	cause to seem less serious; play down; "Don't belittle his influence" [syn: minimize]
2.	charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone; "The journalists have defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation" [syn: defame]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
denigrate [ˈdenigreit] verb

to attack the reputation etc of
Example: I'm not trying to denigrate her achievement.

Arabic:	يُشَوِّهُ السُّمْعَه
Chinese (Simplified):	毁誉
Chinese (Traditional):	毀譽
Czech:	očernit, pomluvit
Danish:	rakke ned på; sværte til
Dutch:	kleineren
Estonian:	mustama
Finnish:	mustata
French:	dénigrer
Greek:	αμαυρώνω, κηλιδώνω
Hungarian:	rágalmaz
Icelandic:	sverta mannorð (e-s)
Indonesian:	meremehkan, mencemarkan

Italian:	denigrare
Korean:	(명예를) 더럽히다, 실추시키다, 깎아내리다
Latvian:	nomelnot
Lithuanian:	menkinti, juodinti
Norwegian:	rakke ned på, sverte
Portuguese (Brazil):	difamar
Romanian:	a denigra
Russian:	чернить
Slovak:	očierniť
Slovenian:	očrniti
Spanish:	denigrar, difanar
Swedish:	tala nedsättande om, racka ner på, förtala
Turkish:	kötülemek, iftira etmek