# discredit

/dɪsˈkɹɛdət/ (US) · /dɪskɹˈɛdɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/discredit
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to damage a reputation

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to make people lose respect for someone by showing they are not honest or reliable.

For teachers: to damage the reputation of a person or institution by exposing flaws or dishonesty. Transitive; requires a direct object.

- The politician's enemies tried to discredit him by leaking old emails to the press.
- The opposition party launched a coordinated campaign to discredit the prime minister, hoping to erode public trust before the upcoming election.

Usage: Often used in political or professional contexts regarding character attacks.

### 2. to prove an idea false

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

to show that an idea, theory, or piece of evidence is not true or cannot be trusted.

For teachers: to cause a theory, claim, or piece of evidence to appear false or unreliable through counter-evidence or logical refutation.

- New scientific evidence has completely discredited the old theory about how the disease spreads.
- The defence attorney successfully discredited the witness's testimony by proving she was not actually at the scene of the crime.

Usage: Common in academic, legal, and scientific writing.

### 3. loss of respect

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the loss of a good reputation or the state of being seen as dishonest.

For teachers: the state of being disbelieved or having a damaged reputation; a source of dishonour.

- His rude behaviour at the ceremony brought discredit on his entire family.
- The scandal brought great discredit upon the university's research department, leading to a loss of several major grants.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrase 'bring discredit on/to' someone or something.

## Examples

- The new evidence will discredit his original theory.
- The lawyer tried to discredit the witness by showing that her memory of the event was inconsistent.
- The scientific community moved quickly to discredit the fraudulent study before it could influence public health policy or cause widespread panic.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.