pejorative

The definition of pejorative is having a negative or belittling effect.

(adjective)

An example of pejorative is a cruel statement about a student's schoolwork that causes him to produce even lower quality schoolwork.

See pejorative in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

declining; making or becoming worse: applied to words whose basic meaning has changed for the worse (Ex.: knave, cretin)
disparaging or derogatory

Origin: < L pejoratus, pp. of pejorare, to make worse < pejor, worse, orig., inclined downward < IE base *ped-, foot

noun

a pejorative word or form

Related Forms:

See pejorative in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

noun

A disparaging or belittling word or expression.

Related Forms:

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pejorative synonyms

pejorative in a sentence

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