as in defamation
the act of making a person or a thing seem little or unimportant
the unfair denigration of the social sciences by some people in the natural sciences
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Recent Examples of denigration
For me, this marks an early moment in the denigration of women.
—
Eana Kim,
ARTnews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Nowhere is there the vitriol or denigration found in MAGA gatherings.
—
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
From the start, the denigration of the Iranian monarchy was at the center of the Islamic Republic’s official ideology.
—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Trump is, of course, a man whose rise to power has been fueled by his denigration of people for being animal-like.
—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
22 Feb. 2026
The human costs of this are the increasing rates of illnesses and the financial costs of health care, lost productivity, and the compounding problems of further environmental denigration.
—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Eana Kim,
ARTnews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Nowhere is there the vitriol or denigration found in MAGA gatherings.
—
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
From the start, the denigration of the Iranian monarchy was at the center of the Islamic Republic’s official ideology.
—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Trump is, of course, a man whose rise to power has been fueled by his denigration of people for being animal-like.
—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
22 Feb. 2026
The human costs of this are the increasing rates of illnesses and the financial costs of health care, lost productivity, and the compounding problems of further environmental denigration.
—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denigration
Noun
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That case requires a public official claiming defamation to prove the defendant knew their statement was false at the time or demonstrated reckless disregard of its falsity, a standard known as actual malice.
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Carroll sued Trump shortly thereafter, accusing him of defamation.
Noun
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The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, and thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest the law.
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Asked about the greenwashing criticism, a Council spokesperson said companies active in the fossil fuel sector can still contribute to the transition, for example by developing low-carbon fuels or building electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Noun
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Following an inspection in March, the city issued a formal notice of condemnation and order to vacate, as only about 17% of the rooms inspected passed.
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The admission drew immediate condemnation from Democratic lawmakers.
Noun
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Asserting claims for tortious interference, civil conspiracy, commercial disparagement and violations of Illinois consumer fraud laws, the Butlers sought more than $50 million in compensatory damages and over $200 million in punitive damages.
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These disparagements cut to the core of southern manhood.
Noun
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Melvin Shimkus, 52, was arrested on a charge of vulnerable adult abuse after allegedly leaving his 31-year-old son, Hunter Shimkus, in a bathtub for seven weeks, according to local outlets, AZ Family, 12 News and Fox 10 TV, citing court documents.
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There was a sense of hope in 2022 for women like Nakajima, an immigrant who sought safety in a new country and struggled with abuse from her family and strange men.
Noun
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During Season 10, a newly confident Batula — who seemed to despise Cooke from the first minute of the premiere episode — appeared to be poised to launch a triumphant post-divorce arc, free at last from Cooke’s belittlement and verbal abuse.
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Apolline may embrace the social media aspects of her career but George’s belittlement rankles her.
Noun
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However, a 2025 law restored short-term rental owners’ ability to use 100% bonus depreciation to accelerate this process in the first year of ownership, enabling owners to offset their non-passive income, including W2 or other business income.
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Three- to five-year-old vehicles can strike a balance between price, depreciation and modern features, though a smaller supply of off-lease vehicles has kept prices higher than many buyers might expect, says Drury.
Noun
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That vision became a target of ridicule — and eventually a joke among the fanbase — when the plan failed to produce a second championship-level core.
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That means that in teams where people felt safe to share ideas and make mistakes, with little fear of ridicule or retribution, there was significantly higher productivity, a lower rate of turnover, more innovation and much more engagement.
Cite this Entry
“Denigration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denigration. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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