Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DENIGRATE

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explore the archives: Compared to our recent word "vilify," "denigrate" is intense. To vilify people is to talk bad about them, trying to point out how vile they are. Sometimes it's deserved, sometimes not. But to denigrate people is to use words to stain, blacken, and ruin their reputation--and it's almost always NOT deserved. When you need to describe the things people said or did that vilified others or denigrated others, you can use "vilification" or "denigration." But you don't have to. We have a shorter word for that. It's cal____: anything said or written about someone that's false, mean, and damaging to that person's reputation. make your point with... "DENIGRATE" From the Latin word for "blacken" and "defame," denigrate means to damage or ruin someone's reputation or character. In other words, to denigrate things or people is to unfairly attack their public image. Pronunciation: DEN ih grate Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you denigrate something or someone.) Other forms: denigrated, denigrating, denigration, denigratory How to use it: This word has a very negative tone. To denigrate things or people is usually unfair, undeserved, and cruel. Talk about denigrating things ("they attempted to denigrate this excellent department") and denigrating people ("they denigrate immigrants"). We also talk about denigrating someone's character, denigrating someone's reputation, denigrating someone's memory, denigrating someone's role or contribution, denigrating someone's achievements or accomplishments, and so on. You might denigrate someone or something as having certain bad qualities: "They denigrated this department as slow, ineffective, and out of touch with reality." Some dictionaries also reflect how people use "denigrate" to mean "belittle:" to treat something as if it matters less than it actually does. This is loose usage that the OED doesn't acknowledge. But go ahead and use the word that way if you want to--a lot of people do. I try to say "belittle" when I mean "belittle" and "denigrate" when I mean "to make something seem really bad when it's actually not." examples: Speaking out against a war isn't the same as denigrating the soldiers who fought it; still, our culture stumbles on that difference. His social circle shrinks every time he denigrates those who don't share his beliefs. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "denigrate" means when you can explain it without saying "sully" or "smear." try it out: Think of something or someone who has an undeserved, bad reputation. Be serious or silly. Fill in the blank: "I'll push back against the denigration of _____ until it stops." Example: "I agree that if the word 'whom' were a person, it would wear a top hat and a monocle. But contrary to popular belief, it wouldn't be twisting its mustache with evil glee. I'll push back against the denigration of 'whom' until it stops. So, forever." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we’re playing with anagrams: rearrangements of the letters in a word to form new words. (For example, “care” has two anagrams: “acre” and “race.”) Looking for these makes you a stronger player in other word games. But more importantly, it helps you practice thinking flexibly and methodically. Plus you get to giggle at potential non-words and discover new real words. We’ll work our way from shorter to longer anagrams. And at any point if you wonder why I left out a word you wanted to list, or why I included a word you think isn’t a real one, hold your fire: our authority for this game is ScrabbleWordFinder.org, which draws from a highly inclusive dictionary. Let’s play! From yesterday: What are the 4 anagrams for TRAP? Answer: PART, PRAT, RAPT, and TARP. Is "prat" a new one to you? Among other meanings, it’s British slang for "stupid person." Try this one today: What are the 3 anagrams for LEAD? review today's word: 1. One opposite of DENIGRATE is A. WHITEWASH B. LIGHTEN C. CALCIFY 2. The association has long been denigrated in the media as _____. A. rapacious B. salient C. timid Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A