as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
disparaging comments about the lack of talent among the musical performers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
disparaged polo as a sport for the idle rich
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disparaging
Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 5 Dec. 2025
Emily’s father didn’t say it in a disparaging way—more like That was just Ryan.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
And there would be lots of soldiers around, either Army or National Guard, and the people who were civilians would be young people, very disparaging about the military.
—Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
The 2023 Economic Report Of The President published in March of 2023 was relatively disparaging of cryptoassets and DLTs.
—Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Prior to appearing on Cunningham's show on Monday, Huggins made more disparaging remarks about Xavier.
—Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 10 May 2023
As a former prosecutor in New York City and a professor of law at West Point, Tim Bakken believes that most people find solace in casting the most disparaging label possible upon an adversary.
—Howard Manly, The Conversation, 20 Dec. 2022
Scam victims could be called innocent to the misdeeds of the net, but being deemed gullible is the more disparaging and stubborn charge.
—Hannah Zeavin, Harper’s Magazine , 22 June 2022
Will Smith was given the Golden Raspberry Awards’ lone non-disparaging prize, with Smith earning the Redeemer Award after landing an actual Oscar nod for his role in King RIchard; Nicolas Cage and Jamie Dornan were also considered for the quasi-honor.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2022
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
In past election cycles, city leaders who were finalists for the event lobbed insults at one another, disparaging one another from across the country for a chance at the prestigious selection.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
But Trump’s relationship with Musk eventually dissolved, resulting in Musk’s departure in May and a fusillade of disparaging messages between the two men on social media.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Then, in the final days of the month, seemingly out of nowhere, Ocasio-Cortez went after Gaines, who had just given birth, in a series of disparaging social media posts.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025
That really wasn’t meant as something disparaging to anybody.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Woods is not the only prominent conservative to denounce disparaging remarks about the Reiners in the wake of their slayings.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
Nor is his penchant for making disparaging remarks about women.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 18 Nov. 2025
Earlier in the week, Sharon and her children Kelly and Jack Osbourne publicly criticized Roger Waters on The Osbournes Podcast after the Pink Floyd co-founder made disparaging comments about Ozzy in an interview with The Independent Ink.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 16 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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.
—Verb
But Kelly’s statements were not made while on active duty, and were not disparaging.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for disparaging
Verb
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Confidence can tip into defensiveness, so your challenge has a lot to do with asserting boundaries without emotional withdrawal and honoring your needs without dismissing others.—
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The president spoke little about democracy in Venezuela, dismissing a potential role for its longstanding democratic opposition in running the country in the immediate aftermath of the operation.—
Adjective
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Many researchers cite those exact words as insulting or wrong when asked about their own terminations.—
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With two toddlers and a 10-hour workday for her husband, the advice was more insulting than helpful.—
Verb
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Hence, minimizing adjacent snow buildup is vital for maintaining power output in alpine PV systems.—
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
Adjective
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When the witness pointed out Axelrod, Haney allegedly used some derogatory language, sped up, and aimed his car directly at the victim.—
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The song, which reclaims a derogatory term for Venezuelan female migrants, was interpreted as defiant and irritated the Venezuelan president, then facing widespread reports of electoral fraud.—
Verb
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Before the night was out, Germans began chipping away at the barrier, carrying off chunks of one of the symbols of the diminishing Iron Curtain.—
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Business leaders say that such policies risk accelerating an exodus of companies, diminishing the city’s commercial tax base, and ultimately affecting services and jobs essential to millions of New Yorkers.—
Adjective
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Bruce was praised by fellow members of the White House press corps for asking important questions despite the president’s demeaning comments.—
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In a post dripping with arrogance, Lynch dished out demeaning nicknames for her recent opponents.—
Verb
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This third point is particularly important when there is an outspoken founder in the wings like Chip Wilson who has been publicly criticizing board decisions.—
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Since a shooting by an ICE agent in Minnesota killed a woman earlier this week, Martina Navratilova has shared dozens of X posts criticizing him and others in ICE.—
Adjective
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Sheriff Guidroz said the three inmates removed blocks from a degrading wall in the prison to create a hole, and used sheets to assist them in climbing down a wall and dropping to the ground.—
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The safety alert also offered guidance to students on recognizing possible hazing, including coercion, unsafe or degrading activities, or tasks presented as mandatory for joining a group.—
Cite this Entry
“Disparaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disparaging. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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