Belittle

Quick meaning: Belittle is a verb meaning (transitive) To make small.

Meaning

(transitive) To make small.

More Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To knowingly say that (someone or something) is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation.

Example Sentences

Don't belittle your colleagues.

Now, the big blue space of river and sky belittled him, ulled him back into bewildered childhood.

For many of us, the realization that people in power, regardless of political party, would belittle, name call and seek retribution has been a shock.

An essential part of any German campaign is obviously the efficiency of its lines of communication and therefore it is dangerous to belittle our enemy's strength in this direction.

Word Forms

• belittles
• belittling
• belittled

Synonyms for belittle

Depending on context, synonyms include understate, denigrate, degrade, deprecate, disparage, downplay.

Antonyms for belittle

Common opposites include exaggerate, hyperbolize, overcharge, overdo, overemphasize, overstate.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include disparage, denigrate, derogate, minimize, diminish, discredit.

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