denigrate
To criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.
Adjective
- Blackened.
Origin
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”).
Forms
Verb
- 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 5, O. S. Nock, “British Locomotive Practice and...
- 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...
Synonyms: badmouth besmirch slander assassinate asperse backbite befoul belibel besmear bewray blacken blame blaze blemish blot blur calumniate calumny chat shit chat shite cloud defame demonize denigrate
- To treat as worthless; belittle, degrade or disparage.
- You have no right to denigrate people and things that you have no personal experience with.
Synonyms: banalize deprecate make light of bagatellize belittle cut down de-emphasize denigrate degrade derogate disparage dispraise downplay lilliputianize make little of make nothing of minimize play down set at nought superficialize trivialize underestimate underplay understate
- To blacken.
Synonyms: black forswart nigrify blacken black up blackwash blatch bletch denigrate infuscate pitch swart swarten