Denigrate
hardDEN-ih-grayt
verb
Definition
To criticize unfairly; to disparage or belittle
Examples
“The campaign sought to denigrate the opponent's character.”
“Critics who denigrate her work fail to understand its complexity.”
Categories
GRE Tip
Denigrate is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "disparage" or "belittle" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "extol".
Related GRE Words
vilify
To speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner
decry
To publicly denounce or criticize
disparage
To regard or represent as being of little worth; to belittle
revile
To criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner
malign
To speak about someone in a harmful or untruthful way; evil in nature
deride
To mock or ridicule someone
Master denigrate and 800+ GRE words
Learn through stories, practice with real GRE questions, and never forget with spaced repetition.