Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DISPARAGE
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connect today's word to others:
The Latin par, meaning "equal," gave us terms like these:
par,
pair,
peer (as in "someone who's your equal"),
par___ ("a state of equivalence"),
ceteris par___ ("all other things being equal"),
and the old-fashioned word parage, which can mean "equality in rank or status" or simply "rank or status."
You can see, then, how disparage literally means "inequality in rank," or "to lower in rank or status"--and more specifically, it can mean "to lower in rank or status by marrying someone beneath you." Like what Lady Sybil did on Downton Abbey by marrying a working-class guy, the chauffeur Tom.
That's how Lady Sybil disparaged herself in the original meaning of the word. But because meanings tend to weaken over time, now we use disparage to mean "to dishonor in words," "to speak lowly of," "to vi__fy: to speak harshly about." As in, "How could anyone disparage Lady Sybil for following her heart?"
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make your point with...
"DISPARAGE"
To disparage things or people is to talk trash about them: to talk about them as if they're less valuable or less worthy than they actually are.
More loosely, sometimes "to disparage" simply means "to criticize things or people: to say why you don't like them."
Pronunciation:
dis PAIR idge
Part of speech:
Verb, the transitive kind: "they disparaged their competitors," "a phrase that disparages millennials."
Other forms:
disparaged, disparaging, disparagingly, disparager(s), disparagement
How to use it:
Talk about people, actions, comments, phrases, labels, nicknames, titles, and other words that disparage people--or that disparage people's honor or reputation, that disparage groups of people (such as companies, nations, cultures, subcultures, political parties, religious groups, etc.), or that disparage things (such as books, events, decisions, traditions, religions themselves, accomplishments, etc.).
Someone might be disparaged for doing (or not doing) something: "he was disparaged for withdrawing from the competition." And someone might be disparaged as some bad quality or label: "the book was disparaged as slapdash," "she was disparaged as a traitor."
examples:
Colbert often introduces his subjects with a photo and a vaguely disparaging description, e.g, "the head of the EPA and guy who calls pants 'slacks,' Scott Pruitt."
"She finished with a mic drop of sorts, digging into a bag of Cheetos, a likely reference to a disparaging nickname for Trump."
— Emily Heil, The Washington Post, 8 January 2019
has this page helped you understand "disparage"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "disparage" without saying "smear" or "denigrate."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "We were warned against disparaging (someone or some group) by (doing something in particular that's lazy, trashy, insulting, insensitive, etc.)."
Example: "We were warned against disparaging the renowned name of Buena Vista Elementary School by littering our gum wrappers or breaking into a chorus of 'Ice, Ice, Baby' at the zoo. Or else, no more field trips."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Quintessential TV Quotes!
Each day, match the given vocabulary word to the quote that best illustrates it.
From the previous issue:
From Glee, which quote below illustrates tribalism?
Quote A:
Kurt: All my artistic decisions have been derided as too costly because they involve several varieties of exotic bird feathers.
Quote B:
Quinn: When you start eating for somebody else so that they can grow and be healthy, your relationship to food changes. I realized that if I'm still willing to eat right to take care of this baby, why am I not willing to do it for myself?
Quote C:
Mr. Schue: Guys, violence is never the answer.
Puck: It is when the question is, "What's the best way to mess up that Jesse kid's face?"
Kurt: Mr. Schue, Rachel is one of us. We're the only ones who get to humiliate her.
Answer: In quote C, Kurt and Puck are eager to defend Rachel, in a show of tribalism.
Try this one today:
From The Simpsons, which quote below illustrates someone being reverent?
Quote A:
Homer: I've come around on hipsters. It takes a lot of guts to all wear the same hat.
Quote B:
Homer: You're my personal savior.
Ned: Thank you, but I don't approve...
Homer: Hail Flanders, mightier than Jesus.
Quote C:
Homer: We show girls love on Valentine's Day, and they let us blow things up on the Fourth of July. I just pray they never fall on the same day.
review today's word:
1. A near opposite of DISPARAGE is
A. EXTOL.
B. SEPARATE.
C. DOWNGRADE.
2. Shakespearean characters are famous for their disparaging _____, as in "_____."
A. wisdom .. Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none
B. zingers .. The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes
C. wordplay .. Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
The Latin par, meaning "equal," gave us terms like these:
"DISPARAGE" To disparage things or people is to talk trash about them: to talk about them as if they're less valuable or less worthy than they actually are.
Colbert often introduces his subjects with a photo and a vaguely disparaging description, e.g, "the head of the EPA and guy who calls pants 'slacks,' Scott Pruitt."
Explain the meaning of "disparage" without saying "smear" or "denigrate."
Fill in the blanks: "We were warned against disparaging (someone or some group) by (doing something in particular that's lazy, trashy, insulting, insensitive, etc.)."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A near opposite of DISPARAGE is
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