belittle
verb
be·lit·tle
bi-ˈli-tᵊl 
bē-
belittled; belittling
bi-ˈli-tᵊl-iŋ
-ˈlit-liŋ,
bē-
1
: to speak slightingly of : disparage
belittles her efforts
2
: to cause (a person or thing) to seem little or less
a curiosity so vast that it almost belittled the main matter—
Mark Twain
Mark TwainSynonyms
Examples of belittle in a Sentence
The critic belittled the author's work.
Her detractors are in the habit of belittling her accomplishments.
Recent Examples on the Web
That's not to belittle the effort the developers have put into VR support.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 18 Oct. 2024
In 2016, one of her former classmates, Lauren Bohn, shared her memories of the Facebook group, recalling how the members would belittle Gaga’s ambitions and even trample on flyers for her shows.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2024
But limiting the discussion to that amazing instrument belittles the other talents, and the overall legacy, of a man who was such a giant in so many senses of the word.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2024
At the time, some leaders found his comments belittling and a bad message.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for belittle 
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Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 18 Oct. 2024
In 2016, one of her former classmates, Lauren Bohn, shared her memories of the Facebook group, recalling how the members would belittle Gaga’s ambitions and even trample on flyers for her shows.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2024
But limiting the discussion to that amazing instrument belittles the other talents, and the overall legacy, of a man who was such a giant in so many senses of the word.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2024
At the time, some leaders found his comments belittling and a bad message.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for belittle
Dictionary Entries Near belittle
Cite this Entry
“Belittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belittle. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
belittle
verb
be·lit·tle
bi-ˈlit-ᵊl
belittled; belittling
-ˈlit-ᵊl-iŋ
-ˈlit-liŋ
: to make (a person or a thing) seem little or unimportant
belittle the success of a rival
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