deprecate

Verb

deprecate (third-person singular simple present deprecates, present participle deprecating, simple past and past participle deprecated)

1. (transitive) To express disapproval of, protest or plead against.
   • They deprecated the attempt to deny aid to homeless people.
   • She deprecated any action which might disturb the peace.

   Synonyms:

   disparage, denounce, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, tilt, cannonade, slash, lash

   Antonyms:

   recommend, endorse

2. (transitive) To belittle, depreciate.
   • He deprecates any praise of his own merits.
   • Prior to the 1980s, Australian English had been widely deprecated by Australians themselves, principally as a result of a sense of inferiority known as "cultural cringe".2012, James Lambert, “Beyond Hobson-Jobson: A new lexicography for Indian English”, in World Englishes, page 295

   Synonyms:

   disparage, make light of, bagatellize, banalize, belittle, cut down, de-emphasize, denigrate, degrade, derogate

   Antonyms:

   praise, commend, big up, cut it fat, exaggerate, hyperbolize, overcharge, overdo, overemphasize, overstate

3. (transitive) To declare something obsolescent; to recommend against a function, technique, command, etc. that still works but has been replaced.
   • The 'bold' tag has been deprecated in favour of the 'strong' tag.
   • It is still supported but strongly deprecated.

   Synonyms:

   disrecommend, unprescribe

4. (archaic, transitive) To pray against.
   • And in deprecating of Evil, we make an humble Acknowledgement of Guilt; and of God’s Juſtice in chaſtizing, as well as Clemency, in ſparing the Guilty.1701, Nehemiah Grew, Cosmologia Sacra, London: W. Rogers, S. Smith, and B. Walford, page 126
   • […], though the Temporal Judgments which We Deprecate, are not remov’d.1712, George Smalridge, A Sermon, Preach’d at the Royal Chapel at St. James’s on Wedneſday, January the 16th, 1711/12, London: Jonah Bowyer, page 18
5. (archaic, transitive) To regret deeply.

   Synonyms:

   repent, rue, afterthink, becry, begrieve, bemoan, bemourn, bewail, beweep, condole