belittle
Make seem small
To belittle is to make someone or something seem smaller, less important, or less worthy than they are.
The word carries a dismissive, often cruel edge—you belittle someone's achievements by suggesting they weren't difficult, or belittle their concerns by treating them as trivial: He constantly belittled her ideas in meetings.
The effect is to diminish.
Contemptuous mocking treatment
- tauntInsulting provocation
- jeerVocal expression of scorn
- sneerScornful expression
- scoffMock with disdain
deride · tease · scorn · laugh at · make fun of · poke fun · rib · heckle
Lower in standing
- denigrateCriticize unfairly to harm
- deprecateExpress earnest disapproval
- diminishTo make smaller
- degradeLower in standing
devalue · put down · dismiss · discredit · defame · slight · insult · disrespect
Act superior toward
- talk downSpeak patronizingly to someone
- look down onRegard with contempt
- snubDeliberate dismissive rejection
- disdainScornful disregard
dismiss · superiority · arrogance · haughtiness · snobbery · contempt · aloofness · smugness
Reduce to smallest extent
- downplayDiminish perceived importance
- understateExpress with restraint
- discountReduced price offered
- brush offDismissive rejection of someone
make light of · play down · undervalue · underestimate · overlook · neglect · gloss over · shrug off
Deliberate disruption of operations
- subvertSecretly weaken authority
- weakenReduce in strength
- erodeDiminish through persistent friction
- undercutSell cheaper than rivals
destabilize · discredit · impair · demoralize · invalidate · chip away · tear down · cut down
ridicule
Contemptuous mocking treatment
scoff · deride · tease · scorn · laugh at · make fun of · poke fun · rib · heckle · gibe
demean
Lower in standing
degrade · devalue · put down · dismiss · discredit · defame · slight · insult · disrespect · humiliate
patronize
Act superior toward
- talk downSpeak patronizingly to someone
- look down onRegard with contempt
- snubDeliberate dismissive rejection
disdain · dismiss · superiority · arrogance · haughtiness · snobbery · contempt · aloofness · smugness · condescension
minimize
Reduce to smallest extent
- downplayDiminish perceived importance
- understateExpress with restraint
- discountReduced price offered
brush off · make light of · play down · undervalue · underestimate · overlook · neglect · gloss over · shrug off · wave away
sabotage
Deliberate disruption of operations
undercut · destabilize · discredit · impair · demoralize · invalidate · chip away · tear down · cut down · knock down
- contemptcontempt, scorn, disdain, despise, derision
- disparagementdefame, denigrate, disparage, malign, slander
- downplayingminimizing, downplay, trivializing, soft-pedal, dismissing
- tauntstaunts, taunt, taunting, neener neener, insults
- degradedemean, humiliate, degrade, debase, diminish
- low blowscheap shot, low blow, sucker punch, below the belt, hit below the belt
belittlemagnify
Increase perceived size
aggrandize · exalt · glorify · exaggerate · amplify
belittling, belittlement, belittled, belittles, belittler, belittlers, belittlements