Standard Lemma guide

detractor

noun · 2 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.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY0 T R AE1 K T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who belittles the worth of another person or cause.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: slanderer, libeler, cynic, mudslinger, defamer, critic

Antonyms: proponent, promoter, supporter

2

noun

Meaning 2

one who disparages or belittles the worth of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disparager, depreciator, knocker

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cynic, faultfinder

Narrower terms: defamer, maligner, slanderer, vilifier, libeler, backbiter, traducer, hatemonger, muckraker, mudslinger

History

Etymology

From Middle English detractor, dectractour, from Anglo-Norman detractour, from Old French detractor.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: злословник (zloslovnik) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Chinese Mandarin: 毀謗者 /毁谤者 (huǐbàngzhě) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誹謗者 /诽谤者 (fěibàngzhě) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Chinese Mandarin: 詆毀者 /诋毁者 (dǐhuǐzhě) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Chinese Mandarin: 貶毀者 /贬毁者 (biǎnhuǐzhě) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Czech: odpůrce — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Danish: bagvasker — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Danish: nedrakker — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Danish: kritiker — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Dutch: kritikaster — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Finnish: vähättelijä — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • French: détracteur — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • French: détracteuse — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • German: Lästerer — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • German: Verleumder — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • German: Lästermaul — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • German: Spötter — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Greek: δυσφημιστής (dysfimistís) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Hungarian: becsmérlő — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Irish: cáinteoir — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Japanese: 中傷する人 (chūshō suru hito) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Japanese: 誹謗する人 (hibō suru hito) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Kazakh: ғайбатшы (ğaibatşy) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Kazakh: даттаушы (dattauşy) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Kazakh: жалақор (jalaqor) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Kazakh: өсекші (ösekşı) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Latin: dētractor — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Persian: بدگو (bad-gu) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Persian: عیبجو ('eyb-ju) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Russian: клеветни́к (klevetník) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Russian: клеветни́ца (klevetníca) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Russian: очерни́тель (očernítelʹ) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Russian: очерни́тельница (očernítelʹnica) — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Spanish: detraedor — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Spanish: detractor — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause
  • Swedish: belackare — a person that belittles the worth of another person or cause