as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
there's no need for belittling comments about your brother's trumpet playing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
belittled the action star's acting ability
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belittling
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2023
The boundaries revolve around disrespectful or belittling speech.
—Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 28 Sep. 2020
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Self respect/love is a strong virtue, tolerating belittling is toxic.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belittling
Adjective
Yet, since sometime before July 23, 2022, an anonymous user has been steadily updating IMDb’s trivia section on Corsage with hostile and belittling comments presented under the guise of background information.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2023
The boundaries revolve around disrespectful or belittling speech.
—Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 28 Sep. 2020
Verb
Pritchard is taking over for interim head coach Frank Reich, who replaced Troy Taylor in the spring after Taylor was dismissed for allegations of bullying and belittling staff.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Self respect/love is a strong virtue, tolerating belittling is toxic.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belittling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belittling
Verb
-
Federal lawyers said judges made mistakes in dismissing the cases by arguing the Civil Rights Act granted the attorney general access to local voting records.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Quit dismissing them as uneducated.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For filmmakers who view their individual work as the center of gravity, this can sit somewhere between confusing and insulting.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Survivors rejected the offer, calling it insulting.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The southern site also would not require the creation of a new quarry for dam materials, minimizing environmental impacts.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
By spacing screenings to every two years, the ACP argues the tradeoff between early detection and minimizing those harms shifts in most women’s favor.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Leadership was abusive, inappropriate and demeaning, employees told The Denver Post.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fans’ attachment is largely to the kids, who aren’t kids anymore, and ’80s nostalgia, which is a diminishing resource.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The densest areas fragment first, diminishing further in size.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While Trump’s talk of a possible NATO pullout dates back years, the comments to The Telegraph newspaper in the U.K., published Wednesday, were among the clearest and most disparaging yet — suggesting that the fracture has deepened perhaps to a point of no return.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.—
Joe Garofoli,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His Instagram reels often show him criticizing the LGBTQ+ community.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Senator Lisa Murkowski, that Republican of Alaska, who's one of the more notable folks up here on the Hill on the GOP side about criticizing the war in Iran, has floated in conversations with reporters in the hallway here the possibility of drawing up an AUMF and putting it up for a vote.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s an adjustment period — percale can feel crisp at first — but most people acclimate within a week or two and find cotton softens further with every wash, rather than pilling or degrading like synthetics.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Most people acclimate within a week or two, and cotton gets softer with every wash rather than pilling or degrading.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belittling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belittling. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
