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 TwainSynonyms
Examples 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
In addition to repeatedly threatening to seize the Panama Canal, Trump used a Christmas message to belittle the prime minister of Canada and suggested that Canadians would be better off if their country became the 51st U.S. state.
—Jonathan Kirshner, Foreign Affairs, 22 Jan. 2025
Others just belittled him in front of his classmates.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Jan. 2025
But slang can also be used to demean, bully, or belittle others, so parents should be aware of trendy lingo their kids are using in their day-to-day life.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 15 Jan. 2025
The letter writer felt used and belittled by the stepdaughter, so there’s work to do to keep the peace.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for belittle 
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Jonathan Kirshner, Foreign Affairs, 22 Jan. 2025
Others just belittled him in front of his classmates.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Jan. 2025
But slang can also be used to demean, bully, or belittle others, so parents should be aware of trendy lingo their kids are using in their day-to-day life.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 15 Jan. 2025
The letter writer felt used and belittled by the stepdaughter, so there’s work to do to keep the peace.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for belittle
Dictionary Entries Near belittle
Cite this Entry
“Belittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belittle. Accessed 8 Feb. 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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