as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
fans made a steady stream of derogatory remarks about the players on the visiting team
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Recent Examples of derogatory
The law requires the removal and replacement of derogatory or offensive names for geographic features and roads.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Davidson has Tourette's with Coprolalia, which involves involuntary outbursts of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks, according to the Tourette Association of America.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Clairemont High School’s new mascot will be the Captains, after a name change process prompted by a state law addressing names and mascots derogatory to Native Americans.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
In the video, one person could be heard calling out derogatory names, and another person told Moreno to get a gun before three shots rang out.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Davidson has Tourette's with Coprolalia, which involves involuntary outbursts of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks, according to the Tourette Association of America.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Clairemont High School’s new mascot will be the Captains, after a name change process prompted by a state law addressing names and mascots derogatory to Native Americans.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
In the video, one person could be heard calling out derogatory names, and another person told Moreno to get a gun before three shots rang out.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derogatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derogatory
Adjective
-
While their insulting jabs at each other make for good laughs, their arc as teammates learning to work together is what gives the film its heart.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Prestianni, who has denied racially insulting Vinícius and has been defended by Benfica, was provisionally suspended for one match by UEFA and did not play in the second leg.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But even scholars often employ the term as a pejorative, used to describe authoritarian government.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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And that was not a pejorative term.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The epitome of narcissism, demeaning and denigrating others upon their deaths (John McCain, Rob Reiner) who’ve displeased him is nothing new, but the Mueller post sinks to a new low.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
To emphasize that new technology can’t change bad behavior, Josh mirrors many of the same demeaning and destructive traits of showrunner Paulie G (Lance Barber), the antagonist of Seasons One and Two.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The malicious actor hacked into Weiss’s contact’s Telegram, arranged a video call with him, and attempted to run a script on his computer to get his passwords.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
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There’s nothing malicious or negative about [their split].—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.—
Joe Garofoli,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Conservative pundit Meghan McCain blasted commentator Tucker Carlson after a guest on his podcast and online show this week made a disparaging remark about her weight.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Neither party admitted to liability and each agreed to refrain from making disparaging, negative or uncomplimentary statements about the other, the document said.—
Lorraine Mirabella,
Baltimore Sun,
29 July 2022
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Though the pollen gunk will pass, he's concerned by a contingent of Twitter trolls who've shared uncomplimentary reviews of his recent North American tour.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE.com,
21 Jan. 2022
Adjective
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Amnesty International has said that the use of the death penalty under the new measure could violate the right to life and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as enshrined in international law.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
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For Hildegard…women’s maternal bodies were not corrupting and degrading, but strong, nurturing, and creative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This subsided with unusual speed, however, as cricket fans took instead to sharing the self-deprecatory jokes coming over the border.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
22 June 2019
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Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.—
Sonja Haller,
USA TODAY,
11 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Derogatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derogatory. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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