Meaning

(transitive) To harm the good reputation of (a person)..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To harm the good reputation of (a person).
2. (transitive) To cause (an idea or piece of evidence) to seem false or unreliable.
3. (countable or uncountable) Discrediting or disbelieving.
4. (countable) A person or thing that causes harm to a reputation, as of a person, family, or institution.
5. (uncountable) The state of being discredited or disbelieved.
6. (uncountable) A degree of dishonour or disesteem; ill repute; reproach.

Example Sentences

The candidate tried to discredit his opponent.

The evidence would tend to discredit such a theory.

Many of our correspondents participated in the discussion, and the upshot was that the alleged record was discredited.

Mr. Burton disbelieves it, and has brought sufficient reasons for his discredit of so improbable a story.

It would have been too serious a task to verify his numerous citations in our very careful reading for the present notice; but we are bound to say that, observing his discredit of some of the passages which he quotes from a contemporary American writer, and struck ourselves with the apparent inexactness of the statements in teste extracts (pp. 579, 616, 647), we were led to compare his citations, and, to our surprise, we find them incorrect and even garbled, and in one place where he had queried (thus (?)) the fact, we were surprised to find the doubt pertained to one of his own interpolations in the extracts.

Madan encouraged many believers in the supremacy of justice to struggle for human rights within the established systems in order to purify the image of the national institutions against any discredits by biased and unjust people.

As we find in a number of parts of Cho\ng's writings his belief in the personified image of Heaven and his discredit of the fundamental and universal nature and the ultimacy of li, we find it difficult to assume that he was not affected by the Jesuit writings he had read.

The detractors of the Christian faith seem to revel in their "discredit of anything scientific concerning the basis of the belief that God is the causal Creator of man, yet offer no scientific 'proof that their criticisms are valid and their beliefs that there is no God, or first cause in creation, are provable by the evidence they present to the world.

Word Forms

• discredits
• discrediting
• discredited

Synonyms for discredit

Antonyms for discredit

Related Words

When Should You Use Discredit?

Use discredit when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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