Standard Lemma guide

belittle

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /bɪˈlɪt.əl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪtəl
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 L IH1 T AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To knowingly say that (someone or something) is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Examples

  • Don't belittle your colleagues.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: understate, make light of, denigrate, degrade, deprecate, disparage, downplay, play down, trivialize, bagatellize, abase, banalize, belittle, cut down, de-emphasize, derogate, dispraise, lilliputianize, make little of, make nothing of, minimize, set at nought, superficialize, underestimate, underplay, vilipend

Antonyms: big up, exaggerate, cut it fat, hyperbolize, overcharge, overdo, overemphasize, overstate, play up, stretch, three-sheet

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make small.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abase, besmall, smallify, abate, belittle, bring down, embase, cut, decrease, decrement, diminish, foreshorten, lessen, lilliputianize, lower, mince, minimize, reduce, shrink

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • don't belittle your colleagues

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: diminish

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decrease, lessen, minify

4

verb

Meaning 4

express a negative opinion of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She disparaged her student's efforts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disparage, pick at

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: knock, criticize, criticise, pick apart

Narrower terms: pan, tear apart, trash, discredit, disgrace, deprecate, depreciate, vilipend, minimize, belittle, denigrate, derogate

5

verb

Meaning 5

cause to seem less serious; play down

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Don't belittle his influence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: minimize, denigrate, derogate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disparage, belittle, pick at

Narrower terms: talk down

History

Etymology

From be- + little. Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782.

Across languages

Translations

64 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: صَغَّرَ (ṣaḡḡara) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Arabic: اِحْتَقَرَ (iḥtaqara) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Armenian: նվազեցնել (nvazecʻnel) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Armenian: պակասեցնել (pakasecʻnel) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Bulgarian: омаловажавам (omalovažavam) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Catalan: menysprear — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Catalan: menystenir — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Catalan: menystindre — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Chinese Mandarin: 貶低 /贬低 (biǎndī) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Chinese Mandarin: 輕視 /轻视 (qīngshì) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Czech: shazovat — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Czech: bagatelizovat — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Dutch: kleineren — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Dutch: afkraken — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Finnish: vähätellä — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • French: déprécier — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • French: rabaisser — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Galician: menosprezar — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • German: schmälern — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • German: herunterspielen — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • German: herabsetzen — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • German: kleinreden — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • German: verniedlichen — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Hungarian: lekicsinyel — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Hungarian: bagatellizál — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Hungarian: elbagatellizál — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Italian: sminuire — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Japanese: 侮る (anadoru) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Japanese: 軽視する (keishi suru) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Japanese: 矮小化する (waishōka suru) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Macedonian: омаловажува (omalovažuva) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Malayalam: ഇകഴ്ത്തുക (ikaḻttuka) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Malayalam: കൊച്ചാക്കുക (koccākkuka) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Māori: tānoa — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nedvurdere — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fornedre — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bagatellisere — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Occitan: denigrar — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Occitan: mespresar — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Occitan: despreciar — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Occitan: rebaissar — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Polish: lekceważyć — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Polish: zlekceważyć — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Polish: bagatelizować — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Polish: zbagatelizować — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Portuguese: depreciar — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Romanian: deprecia — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Romanian: minimaliza — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Russian: занижа́ть (zanižátʹ) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Russian: принижа́ть (prinižátʹ) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Russian: преуменьша́ть (preumenʹšátʹ) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Russian: умаля́ть (umaljátʹ) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Russian: недооце́нивать (nedoocénivatʹ) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Spanish: menospreciar — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Spanish: minimizar — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Spanish: disminuir — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Spanish: empequeñecer — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Swedish: förringa — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Swedish: förminska — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Tagalog: maliit (maliitin) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Turkish: küçümsemek — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Ottoman Turkish: آشاغیلامق (aşağılamak) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Ukrainian: прини́жувати (prynýžuvaty) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
  • Ukrainian: прини́зити (prynýzyty) — to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is