BELITTLE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does belittle mean? 

• BELITTLE (verb)
  The verb BELITTLE has 3 senses:

1. cause to seem less serious; play down

2. express a negative opinion of

3. lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of

  Familiarity information: BELITTLE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BELITTLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they belittle    ... he / she / it belittles   
Past simple: belittled   
Past participle: belittled   
-ing form: belittling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to seem less serious; play down

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

belittle; denigrate; derogate; minimize

Context example:

Don't belittle his influence

Hypernyms (to "belittle" is one way to...):

belittle; disparage; pick at (express a negative opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "belittle"):

talk down (belittle through talk)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Express a negative opinion of

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

belittle; disparage; pick at

Context example:

She disparaged her student's efforts

Hypernyms (to "belittle" is one way to...):

criticise; criticize; knock; pick apart (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "belittle"):

pan; tear apart; trash (express a totally negative opinion of)

discredit; disgrace (damage the reputation of)

deprecate; depreciate; vilipend (belittle)

belittle; denigrate; derogate; minimize (cause to seem less serious; play down)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

belittle; diminish

Context example:

don't belittle your colleagues

Hypernyms (to "belittle" is one way to...):

decrease; lessen; minify (make smaller)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

He could not belittle love.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)