Standard Lemma guide
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.
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adj
Blackened.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: badmouth, besmirch, slander, assassinate, asperse, backbite, befoul, belibel, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, defame, demonize, denigrate, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, diss, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, libel, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To treat as worthless; belittle, degrade or disparage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Synonyms: banalize, deprecate, make light of, bagatellize, belittle, cut down, de-emphasize, denigrate, degrade, derogate, disparage, dispraise, downplay, lilliputianize, make little of, make nothing of, minimize, play down, set at nought, superficialize, trivialize, underestimate, underplay, understate, vilipend
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To blacken.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare, transitive
Qualifier: literal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: black, forswart, nigrify, blacken, black up, blackwash, blatch, bletch, denigrate, infuscate, pitch, swart, swarten
Antonyms: none provided
verb
charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: defame, slander, smirch, asperse, calumniate, smear, sully, besmirch
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: charge, accuse
Narrower terms: assassinate, libel, badmouth, malign, traduce, drag through the mud
verb
cause to seem less serious; play down
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: minimize, belittle, derogate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: disparage, belittle, pick at
Narrower terms: talk down
History
Derived from Latin dēnigrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēnigrō (“to blacken”) [see -ate (verb-forming suffix)], from dē- (“of; from”) + nigrō (“to blacken”) [from niger (“black”)]. Cognate with Middle English denigart(e) (“darkened, discolored”).
Across languages
97 source translations are retained for this English entry.
