derogatory
derogatory
Definition
de·roga·tory (di räg′ə tôr′ē)
adjective
- tending to lessen or impair; detracting
- disparaging; belittling
Etymology: L derogatorius: see derogate
de·rog′a·to′·rily adverb
derogatory
Synonyms
derogatory
modif.
derogatory
Usage Examples
Adjective complement with noun phrase
- say: The children were coached not to cry or ask questions, and above all to say nothing derogatory about Saddam.
- have: Luckily, she had had nothing derogatory or confidential to say!
- write: Signed copy arrived today ( either that or their admin assistant wrote something derogatory on the cover!
- find: Ian Seager himself had flown down in a Cirrus and was struggling to find something derogatory to say about it.
Modifies a noun
- remark: I welcome the derogatory remarks made by Gerry Adams.
- connotation: Why should Muhammad use a name with such derogatory connotations, instead of his original name which has no such " historical " baggage.
- manner: Why condemn in a derogatory manner the sovereign actions of nearly half of the Chilean citizens.
- comment: Holding up a mirror to bounce the derogatory comments right back where they belong.
- treatment: There is also a moral right to object to derogatory treatment of work.
- term: A member of the General Synod of the Anglican Church said this was " a rather derogatory term " .
Modifying Another Word
- somewhat: Nowadays it is a light-hearted if somewhat derogatory term.
- rather: A member of the General Synod of the Anglican Church said this was " a rather derogatory term " .
- highly: To call anyone a pig or a dog was highly derogatory for they were ritually unclean animals.
- not: The points I've made are not derogatory toward these excellent organizations.
- slightly: Moderns being the slightly derogatory term applied by the rival Atholl Grand Lodge.
- quite: All the pre-match chat about them being no-hopers was quite derogatory.
Used with adjective complement
Browse dictionary entries near derogatory
- derogation
- derogate
- dernier cri
- dermopteran
- dermoid
- dermo-
- dermis
- dermic
- dermestid
- dermatosis
- derrière
- derrick
- Derrida
- derring-do
- derringer
- derris
- Derry
- dervish
- DES
- Des Moines
