belittle
VerbUS[bih-lit-uhl]/bɪˈlɪtəl/3 syllables
Open English WordNet
Verb (3)belittled, belittling
- cause to seem less serious; play down“Don't belittle his influence”Synonyms: minimizedenigratederogateMore general disparage, pick atMore specific talk down
- express a negative opinion of“She disparaged her student's efforts”Synonyms: disparagepick atOpposite blandishMore general knock, criticizeMore specific pan, discredit, minimize, deprecate
- lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of“don't belittle your colleagues”Synonyms: diminishMore general decrease, lessen
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ephemeranoun
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Be·lit′tle (…), transitive verb [past tense & past participle Belittled (…); present participle & verbal noun Belittling.]
To make little or less in a moral sense; to speak of in a depreciatory or contemptuous way. T. Jefferson.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54