belittles
Makes seem small
Belittles is the third-person singular of belittle, meaning to make someone or something seem small or unimportant.
To belittle is to dismiss or diminish: He constantly belittles her accomplishments.
The word implies a deliberate put-down, suggesting the belittler wants to feel superior or undermine another's confidence.
Ridicules through imitation
- ridiculesSubjects to contemptuous laughter
- deridesExpresses contemptuous mockery
- denigratesCriticizes unfairly, damages reputation
- demeansCauses loss of dignity
insults · taunts · jeers · scorns · deprecates · slights · criticizes · discredits
Talks down to others
- talks downSpeaks condescendingly to
- condescendsBehaves with superiority
- infantilizesTreats as incapable child
- demeansCauses loss of dignity
humiliates · looks down on · lords over · paternalistic · matronly · supercilious · haughty · disdainful
Dismisses without consideration
- shrugs offDismisses without concern
- disregardsFails to consider
- overlooksMisses or surveys
- discountsSubtractions from full price
downplays · ignores · sidelines · trivializes · minimizes · undervalues · underestimates · writes off
Deliberately undermines or destroys
- subvertsWeakens or overthrows
- weakensReduces strength or power
- erodesWears away gradually
- undercutsWeakens or undersells
destabilizes · demoralizes · diminishes · impairs · damages · invalidates · delegitimizes · emasculates
mocks
Ridicules through imitation
- ridiculesSubjects to contemptuous laughter
- deridesExpresses contemptuous mockery
- denigratesCriticizes unfairly, damages reputation
demeans · insults · taunts · jeers · scorns · deprecates · slights · criticizes · discredits · defames
patronizes
Talks down to others
- talks downSpeaks condescendingly to
- condescendsBehaves with superiority
- infantilizesTreats as incapable child
demeans · humiliates · looks down on · lords over · paternalistic · matronly · supercilious · haughty · disdainful · snobbish
brushes off
Dismisses without consideration
- shrugs offDismisses without concern
- disregardsFails to consider
- overlooksMisses or surveys
discounts · downplays · ignores · sidelines · trivializes · minimizes · undervalues · underestimates · writes off · glosses over
sabotages
Deliberately undermines or destroys
undercuts · destabilizes · demoralizes · diminishes · impairs · damages · invalidates · delegitimizes · emasculates · disempowers
- criticismscriticizes, disparages, condemns, denounces, censures
- mocksmocks, teases, ridicules, taunts, jeers
- tarnishesblemishes, blots, corrupts, defames, denigrates