pejorative

[ pi-jawr-uh-tiv, -jor-, pej-uh-rey-, pee-juh- ]
See synonyms for pejorative on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force: the pejorative affix -ling in princeling.

noun
  1. a pejorative form or word, as poetaster.

Origin of pejorative

1
First recorded in 1880–85; from Latin pējōrāt(us) “made worse” (see pejoration) + -ive

Other words for pejorative

Other words from pejorative

  • pe·jo·ra·tive·ly, adverb
  • non·pe·jo·ra·tive, adjective
  • non·pe·jo·ra·tive·ly, adverb
  • un·pe·jo·ra·tive, adjective
  • un·pe·jo·ra·tive·ly, adverb

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How to use pejorative in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pejorative

pejorative

/ (pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv, ˈpiːdʒər-) /


adjective
  1. (of words, expressions, etc) having an unpleasant or disparaging connotation

noun
  1. a pejorative word, expression, etc

Origin of pejorative

1
C19: from French péjoratif, from Late Latin pējōrātus, past participle of pējōrāre to make worse, from Latin pēior worse

Derived forms of pejorative

  • pejoratively, adverb

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