Word
disparage
Phoneticsdis·par·age, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈspɛɹɪdʒ/
UK/dɪspˈæɹɪdʒ/
Definition
v. to talk about someone or something in a bad way that makes them seem less good or important.
v. to belittle or discredit someone or something through dismissive speech or writing.
Examples
“She never disparages her coworkers in meetings.”
“The coach tells players not to disparage the other team before the match.”
“Critics who disparage the novel for its simple style often miss how carefully it portrays ordinary family life.”
Examples
simple
“She never disparages her coworkers in meetings.”
contextual
“The coach tells players not to disparage the other team before the match.”
complex
“Critics who disparage the novel for its simple style often miss how carefully it portrays ordinary family life.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “disparage” in context.
Verb
01. attempt to disparage
“He attempted to disparage her reputation with false claims.”
verb + to + verb
02. critic disparage
“The critic disparaged the film as derivative and poorly directed.”
noun + verb
03. opponent disparage
“His opponent disparaged his economic record throughout the campaign.”
noun + verb
Adjective
04. openly disparage
“She openly disparaged the proposal at the board meeting.”
adv + verb
05. publicly disparage
“The candidate publicly disparaged his opponent during the debate.”
adv + verb
Noun
06. disparage achievement
“It is petty to disparage the achievements of others.”
verb + noun
07. disparage contribution
“They disparaged her contribution to the research project.”
verb + noun
08. disparage effort
“The manager disparaged his team's efforts after the failure.”
verb + noun
09. disparage rival
“She refused to disparage her rival to win the election.”
verb + noun
10. disparage others to gain advantage
“Some politicians disparage others to gain advantage before elections.”
11. disparage something as inferior
“Critics disparaged the proposal as inferior to previous reforms.”
12. publicly disparage an opponent
“She publicly disparaged an opponent to gain support in the polls.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.
Real-World Examples
“These conversations connect with people's day-to-day lives, which makes it easy to then slip in disparaging comments about women.” “These conversations connect with peoples’ day-to-day lives, which makes it easy to then slip in disparaging comments about women.” “Often, they cast aspersions on one another’s masculinity, with disparaging comments on an opponent’s way of speaking, his gestures, the way he wore his toga – as well as his sexual behaviour.” “An ad titled “King of the Jungle”, which shows a lion hunting in the wild and disparages Trump’s political enemies, including former president Barack Obama and other Democrats.” Etymology
From Middle English disparage (noun), disparagen (verb), from Old French desparage (noun), desparagier (verb), from des- (“dis-”) + parage (“equal rank, rank”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/disparage