DENIGRATIVE Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

denigrative

adjective

Definition of denigrative

as in insulting

intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value thanked her for the gift and then added the denigrative aside, "Not that it's anything special!"

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for denigrative

Adjective

Afterward, Lisa brags about her pickpocketing skills and says theft is easier and less insulting to the mark.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
The mother was waiting with her daughter for her other children to get off a school bus when Blanco allegedly approached and made insulting comments, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said, according to WPRI.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of insulting

Adjective

Moreover, the perpetrators do not appear to have used malicious code on the fridge controllers, potentially complicating efforts to track down who carried out the cyberattack, added Aimé.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The best way to protect yourself from malicious links that install malware and potentially access your private information is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

The critical need for a crisis communications plan, regardless of the size of your business.

— Janelle Ash , Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
If a critical variable exceeds an allowable limit, the safety function overrides the control system regardless of why the controller made its decision.

— Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of critical

Adjective

At Fuerte Guaicaipuro, a military facility, investigators documented detainees being confined in pit-like cells dug below ground level and subjected to cold, food deprivation and other degrading treatment.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
The beating can look degrading, but the check might protect opportunities for hundreds of athletes who never appear in the game.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of degrading

Adjective

Of course, parents should intervene when a coach is abusive or a child is genuinely being mistreated.

— Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The policy prohibited speakers from directing remarks to individual council members and restricted comments considered personal or abusive.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of abusive

Adjective

Below the surface, there is a lot of contemptuous finger-pointing about where the anti-AI energy now coursing through the political-media landscape is coming from.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Relative to the contemptuous silence of the Mike Ashley regime, there is no comparison — but even when compared to previous post-takeover administrations, Newcastle are being more communicative.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of contemptuous

Adjective

Tweets about Cunningham, thinkpieces, and rebuttals have all swirled into an endless mass of controversy — one dominated by derogatory rhetoric, threats, and anti-trans memes.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
Many posts written and shared by Hamam al Hamami on an X account that has since been deleted used derogatory language about women espoused by misogynistic online influencers.

— Tucker Reals, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of derogatory

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

denigrations

denigrative

denigrator

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“Denigrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denigrative. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of denigrative

adjective

Example Sentences

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