belittle

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782 in "Notes on the State of Virginia": "So far the Count de Buffon has carried this new theory of the tendency of nature to belittle her productions on this side the Atlantic."

[edit] Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /bɨˈlɪt.əl/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -ɪtəl

[edit] Verb

to belittle (third-person singular simple present belittles, present participle belittling, simple past and past participle belittled)

1. To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is.

   My older brother used to belittle anything I did.

[edit] Related terms

• belittlement

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• disparage
• denigrate
• vilipend