DEROGATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does derogate mean? 

• DEROGATE (verb)
  The verb DEROGATE has 1 sense:

1. cause to seem less serious; play down

  Familiarity information: DEROGATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEROGATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they derogate    ... he / she / it derogates   
Past simple: derogated   
Past participle: derogated   
-ing form: derogating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to seem less serious; play down

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

belittle; denigrate; derogate; minimize

Context example:

Don't belittle his influence

Hypernyms (to "derogate" is one way to...):

belittle; disparage; pick at (express a negative opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "derogate"):

talk down (belittle through talk)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

derogation (a communication that belittles somebody or something)

derogative; derogatory (expressive of low opinion)