belittle
verb
be·lit·tle
bi-ˈli-tᵊl 
bē-
belittled; belittling
bi-ˈli-tᵊl-iŋ
-ˈlit-liŋ,
bē-
1
: to speak slightingly of : disparage
belittles her efforts
2
: to cause (a person or thing) to seem little or less
a curiosity so vast that it almost belittled the main matter—
Mark Twain
Mark TwainExamples of belittle in a Sentence
The critic belittled the author's work.
Her detractors are in the habit of belittling her accomplishments.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fearing their authority is being bypassed, supervisors sometimes retaliate – belittling ideas and withholding resources, for example – which stifles the very innovation that cross-silo collaborations can foster.
—Esmt Berlin, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Matt grows increasingly irritated when Sarah’s friends belittle his line of work — something that Rogen has experienced first-hand in real life while raising money with his wife for their Alzheimer’s charity.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 12 June 2025
But Dowdell says that some of its tell-tale signs include intimidation, belittling, berating, bad-mouthing, mocking, yelling or cursing at someone, humiliation, name-calling, constant criticisms and threatening.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Every obstacle gets thrown in his path, including a macho but charismatic brute (Julian McMahon) and his stable of bad-boy surfers who belittle, berate and strip him of his masculinity.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for belittle
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Esmt Berlin, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Matt grows increasingly irritated when Sarah’s friends belittle his line of work — something that Rogen has experienced first-hand in real life while raising money with his wife for their Alzheimer’s charity.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 12 June 2025
But Dowdell says that some of its tell-tale signs include intimidation, belittling, berating, bad-mouthing, mocking, yelling or cursing at someone, humiliation, name-calling, constant criticisms and threatening.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Every obstacle gets thrown in his path, including a macho but charismatic brute (Julian McMahon) and his stable of bad-boy surfers who belittle, berate and strip him of his masculinity.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for belittle
Cite this Entry
“Belittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belittle. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
belittle
verb
be·lit·tle
bi-ˈlit-ᵊl
belittled; belittling
-ˈlit-ᵊl-iŋ
-ˈlit-liŋ
: to make (a person or a thing) seem little or unimportant
belittle the success of a rival
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