DISPARAGE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does disparage mean? 

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

1. express a negative opinion of

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISPARAGE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they disparage    ... he / she / it disparages   
Past simple: disparaged   
Past participle: disparaged   
-ing form: disparaging   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Express a negative opinion of

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

belittle; disparage; pick at

Context example:

She disparaged her student's efforts

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

criticise; criticize; knock; pick apart (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws)

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

pan; tear apart; trash (express a totally negative opinion of)

discredit; disgrace (damage the reputation of)

deprecate; depreciate; vilipend (belittle)

belittle; denigrate; derogate; minimize (cause to seem less serious; play down)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Antonym:

flatter (praise somewhat dishonestly)

Derivation:

disparagement (the act of speaking contemptuously of)

disparagement (a communication that belittles somebody or something)

disparager (one who disparages or belittles the worth of something)

 Context examples 

Don't tell me so—lest I should say something disparaging to your judgment.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

My dear, said Mr. Micawber, your papa was very well in his way, and Heaven forbid that I should disparage him.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I put forward this obvious reflection, not out of any desire to disparage Mr. Waldron in particular, but that you may not lose your sense of proportion and mistake the acolyte for the high priest.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

His main use of this tongue, is, to disparage Doctor Strong's young gentlemen.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Such address and intelligence as I chance to possess, said Mr. Micawber, boastfully disparaging himself, with the old genteel air, will be devoted to my friend Heep's service.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I found a great many foxes, disparaging whole vineyards of inaccessible grapes; but I found very few foxes whom I would have trusted within reach of a bunch.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

My apprehensions of being disparaged to the object of my engrossing affection were revived when we went into the drawing-room, by the grim and distant aspect of Miss Murdstone.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

When she went out of the room with Miss Murdstone (no other ladies were of the party), I fell into a reverie, only disturbed by the cruel apprehension that Miss Murdstone would disparage me to her.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

If it were not that I might appear to disparage her Intended, which I know my friend would not like, I would add, that to me she seems to be throwing herself away; that I am sure she might do better; and that I swear she was born to be a lady.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

With what a demure assumption of being immensely older and wiser than I, the fairy little woman said I was a silly boy; and then laughed so charmingly that I forgot the pain of being called by that disparaging name, in the pleasure of looking at her.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)