Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of denigrate

100 similar words

Another word for denigrate is wrong. Other synonyms of denigrate are dirty, foul, libel, stain and de-emphasize.

Synonyms and similar words for denigrate

verbTo criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.

  • badmouthTo criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully.
  • besmirchTo tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.
  • slanderTo utter a slanderous statement about; baselessly speak ill of; to wrong.
  • assassinate figurativelyTo harm, ruin, or defame severely or destroy by treachery, slander, libel, or obscure attack.
  • asperseTo falsely or maliciously charge someone.
  • backbiteTo make spiteful slanderous or defamatory statements about someone.
  • befoul figurativelyTo stain or mar (e.g., with infamy or disgrace).
  • besmearTo damage the reputation of, to tarnish, to sully.
  • blackenTo cause to be or become black.
  • blazeTo disclose; bewray; defame.
  • blemishTo tarnish (reputation, character, etc.); to defame.
  • blotTo stain with infamy; to disgrace.
  • blurTo sully; to stain; to blemish, as reputation.
  • calumniateTo levy a false charge against, especially of a vague offense, with the intent to damage someone's reputation or...
  • calumnyTo make false accusations or levy false charges against a person with the intent to tarnish that person's reputation or...
  • chat shit slang, vulgarTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • chat shite Ireland, UK
  • cloudTo blacken; to sully; to stain; to tarnish (reputation or character).
  • defame
  • demonize figurativelyTo describe or represent as evil or diabolic, usually falsely.
  • depraveTo speak ill of; to depreciate; to malign; to revile.
  • depreciateTo belittle or disparage.
  • detractTo take credit or reputation from; to derogate; to defame or decry.
  • dirtyTo stain or tarnish (somebody) with dishonor.
  • discredit
  • disgraceTo put someone or something out of favor; to bring shame or ignominy upon.
  • disparageTo dishonor by a comparison with what is inferior; to lower in rank or estimation by actions or words; to speak...
  • disreputeTo bring into disrepute; to hold in dishonor.
  • diss slangTo put (someone) down, or show disrespect by the use of insulting language or dismissive behaviour.
  • drag through the mudTo tarnish or spoil enough so that something or someone is no longer respectable.
  • foulTo besmirch.
  • infamizeTo make infamous; to defame or smear.
  • lampoonTo satirize or poke fun at.
  • libelTo defame (someone), especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.
  • malignTo make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce.
  • monsterizeTo give someone a very bad reputation; demonize, vilify.
  • muddy figurativelyTo damage (a person or their reputation); to sully, to tarnish.
  • reproachTo disgrace, or bring shame upon.
  • revileTo attack (someone) with abusive language.
  • shit-talk slang, vulgar
  • slag UK, slangTo talk badly about; to malign or denigrate (someone).
  • smearTo damage someone's reputation by slandering, misrepresenting, or otherwise making false accusations about them, their...
  • spotTo stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation.
  • speak ill ofTo vilify; to defame; to criticize.
  • stab figurativelyTo injure secretly or by malicious falsehood or slander.
  • stainTo taint or tarnish someone's character or reputation.
  • sullyTo corrupt or damage.
  • talk shit slang, vulgarTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • talk shite UK, slangTo talk badly about something.
  • talk trash US, slangTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • tarnishTo compromise, damage, soil, or sully.
  • torch figurativelyTo make damaging claims about (someone or something); to ruin the reputation of (someone or something); to disparage...
  • traduceTo malign a person or entity by making malicious and false or defamatory statements.
  • trash-talk US, slangTo insult a rival in a disparaging way.
  • unflatterTo show or display in a bad light; to portray unfavorably.
  • vilifyTo say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.
  • villainizeTo represent as a villain.
  • wrongTo slander; to impute evil to unjustly.
  • belibel datedTo libel, slander, calumniate.
  • bewray archaicTo accuse; malign; speak evil of.
  • blame obsoleteTo bring into disrepute.
  • forgab obsoleteTo mock; deride; defame; publish the misdeeds of.
  • forspeak obsoleteTo say bad things about; to slander.
  • scandal obsoleteTo defame; to slander.
  • smirch archaic, figuratively
  • spatter figuratively, obsoleteTo injure by aspersion; to defame.
  • vilipend dated, formalTo treat (something) as inconsequential or worthless; to despise, to look down on.

verbTo treat as worthless; belittle, degrade or disparage.

  • banalizeTo make banal or commonplace.
  • deprecateTo belittle, depreciate.
  • make light ofTo regard without due seriousness; to joke about.
  • bagatellizeTo regard as a bagatelle; to play down, trivialize or belittle.
  • belittleTo disparage, depreciate, or minimize the importance, value, merit, or significance of someone or something.
  • cut down
  • de-emphasizeTo remove or reduce the emphasis from something; to make something less important; to play down.
  • degrade
  • derogateTo detract from (something); to disparage, belittle.
  • dispraiseTo notice with disapprobation or some degree of censure; to disparage, to criticize.
  • downplayTo de-emphasize; to present or portray as less important or consequential.
  • lilliputianizeTo make small or petty.
  • make little ofTo belittle.
  • make nothing ofTo consider as trifling or unimportant.
  • minimizeTo treat as trivial or insignificant; to trivialize.
  • play downTo make or attempt to make something seem less important, likely, or obvious.
  • superficializeTo render superficial; to trivialize.
  • trivializeTo make something appear trivial.
  • underestimateTo perceive or expect (someone or something) to be less significant or difficult than it actually is.
  • underplayTo make something seem less important than it really is.
  • understateTo state (something) with less completeness than needed; to minimise or downplay.
  • set at nought archaicTo treat as unimportant or worthless; to despise, disregard, defy, unheed.

verbTo blacken.

  • black
  • forswartTo blacken; make or become swart or swarthy; sunburn.
  • nigrifyTo make black in colour; to blacken.
  • black up
  • blackwash
  • bletch dialectalTo blacken; to dirty or soil.
  • pitch
  • swartTo make swart or tawny; blacken; tan.
  • swarten
  • blatch obsoleteTo blacken; to smear with blacking; to stain or mark with soot or coal.
  • infuscate obsoleteTo darken; to make black or obscure.

Meaning of denigrate

  1. verb To criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.
  2. verb To treat as worthless; belittle, degrade or disparage.
  3. verb To blacken.

Full definition of denigrate

denigrate in other languages

Questions about synonyms of denigrate

What is another word for denigrate?
Denigrate has 100 synonyms on Word.ws, such as wrong, dirty, foul, libel, stain, de-emphasize, sully and malign.
What does denigrate mean?
Denigrate means to criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: denigrate (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of denigrate.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/denigrate. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.