[syn: disparagement, dispraise]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Disparagement \Dis*par"age*ment\, n. [Cf. OF. desparagement.]
1. Matching any one in marriage under his or her degree;
injurious union with something of inferior excellence; a
lowering in rank or estimation. [Eng.]
[1913 Webster]
And thought that match a foul disparagement.
--Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
2. Injurious comparison with an inferior; a depreciating or
dishonoring opinion or insinuation; diminution of value;
dishonor; indignity; reproach; disgrace; detraction; --
commonly with to.
[1913 Webster]
It ought to be no disparagement to a star that it is
not the sun. --South.
[1913 Webster]
Imitation is a disparagement and a degradation in a
Christian minister. --I. Taylor.
Syn: Indignity; derogation; detraction; reproach; dishonor;
debasement; degradation; disgrace.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
disparagement
n 1: a communication that belittles somebody or something [syn:
disparagement, depreciation, derogation]
2: the act of speaking contemptuously of [syn: disparagement,
dispraise]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
114 Moby Thesaurus words for "disparagement":
airs, animadversion, arrogance, aspersion, attaint, attrition,
backbiting, backstabbing, badge of infamy, bar sinister, baton,
belittlement, bend sinister, black eye, black mark, blot, blur,
brand, broad arrow, calumny, censure, champain, clannishness,
cliquishness, contempt, contemptuousness, contumely, curtailment,
cut, cutting, decrease, decrement, defamation, denigration,
depletion, deprecation, depreciation, derogation, despisal,
despite, detraction, diminution, dip, discommendation, discourtesy,
disdain, disdainfulness, disesteem, dishonor, dispraise,
disrespect, disrespectfulness, disvaluation, exclusiveness,
extraction, hauteur, impairment, impudence, imputation, insolence,
insult, irreverence, lack of respect, lessening, mark of Cain,
minimization, misestimation, misprision, misprizal, misprizing,
onus, pillorying, point champain, reduction, reflection, remission,
reprimand, reproach, retraction, retrenchment, ridicule, scandal,
scorn, scornfulness, shortening, shrinkage, slander, slur, smear,
smirch, smudge, smutch, sniffiness, snobbishness, snootiness,
snottiness, sovereign contempt, spot, stain, stigma, stigmatism,
stigmatization, stricture, superciliousness, taint, tale, tarnish,
toploftiness, truncation, underestimate, underestimation,
underrating, underreckoning, undervaluation