Standard Lemma guide

depreciate

verb · 6 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: /dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt/
  • US: /dəˈpriʃiˌeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 P R IY1 SH IY0 EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: degrade, devalue, devaluate, abase, avile, debase, debauch, depreciate, dirty, elevate, vitiate

Antonyms: appreciate, upvalue

2

verb

Meaning 2

To decline in value over time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: devalue

Antonyms: appreciate

3

verb

Meaning 3

To belittle or disparage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • They depreciated him because he was the youngest on the team.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badmouth, cut down to size, assassinate, asperse, backbite, befoul, belibel, besmirch, 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, slander, 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, abase, bring down to size, debase, degrade, demean, demote, depress, dishonour, downgrade, embase, give a bad name, humble, humiliate, knock down to size, put someone in their place, reduce, relegate, sink, slur, trim down to size, whittle down to size

Antonyms: aggrandize, big up, advance, dignify, elevate, ennoble, exalt, honor, nobilitate, prefer, promote, raise, uplift

4

verb

Meaning 4

lose in value

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The dollar depreciated again

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: undervalue, devaluate, devalue

Antonyms: appreciate

Broader terms: decrease, diminish, lessen, fall

5

verb

Meaning 5

lower the value of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Fed depreciated the dollar once again

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: appreciate

Broader terms: devalue

Narrower terms: expense, write off, write down

6

verb

Meaning 6

belittle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The teacher should not deprecate his student's efforts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deprecate, vilipend

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disparage, belittle, pick at

Narrower terms: deflate, puncture

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English depreciaten, borrowed from Late Latin dēpretiātus / dēpreciātus, perfect passive participle of dēpretiō / dēpreciō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- + pretium (“price”) + -ō.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: обезценявам (obezcenjavam) — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Catalan: depreciar — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Catalan: devaluar — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Finnish: alentaa — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Finnish: laskea — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Finnish: halventaa — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • French: déprécier — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • German: herabsetzen — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Hebrew: הפחית (hifchit) — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Hebrew: קזז (kizez) — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Hungarian: leértékel — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Hungarian: devalvál — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Hungarian: elértéktelenít — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Italian: deprezzare — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Macedonian: обезвредни (obezvredni) — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Polish: deprecjonować — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Romanian: deprecia — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Romanian: diminua — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Romanian: micșora — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Russian: обесценивать (obescenivatʹ) — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Russian: обесценить (obescenitʹ) — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Spanish: depreciar — (tr.) to lessen in price or value
  • Bulgarian: обезценявам се (obezcenjavam se) — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Catalan: depreciar — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Finnish: alentua — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Finnish: laskea — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Finnish: halveta — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • German: abschreiben — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Hungarian: leértékelődik — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Hungarian: devalválódik — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Hungarian: elértéktelenedik — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Italian: deprezzarsi — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Latin: ēvīlescō — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Romanian: se deprecia — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Romanian: se diminua — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Romanian: se micșora — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Russian: обесцениваться (obescenivatʹsja) — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Russian: обесцениться (obescenitʹsja) — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Spanish: depreciarse — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Spanish: desmerecer — (intr.) to decline in value over time
  • Yao (Africa): kugwa — (intr.) to decline in value over time