Standard Lemma guide

discredit

noun · verb · 10 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.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /dɪsˈkɹed.ɪt/
  • rhymes with -ɛdɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S K R EH1 D AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Discrediting or disbelieving.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person or thing that causes harm to a reputation, as of a person, family, or institution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The state of being discredited or disbelieved.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • Later accounts have brought the story into discredit.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A degree of dishonour or disesteem; ill repute; reproach.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To harm the good reputation of (a person).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The candidate tried to discredit his opponent.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demean, disgrace, dishonour, abase, bring down to size, cut down to size, debase, defame, degrade, demote, depress, discredit, disparage, 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: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cause (an idea or piece of evidence) to seem false or unreliable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The evidence would tend to discredit such a theory.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disprove, falsify, invalidate, tell against

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the state of being held in low esteem

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • your actions will bring discredit to your name
  • because of the scandal the school has fallen into disrepute

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disrepute

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dishonor, dishonour

Narrower terms: infamy

8

verb

Meaning 8

reject as false; refuse to accept

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disbelieve

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reject

Narrower terms: doubt, distrust, mistrust, suspect

9

verb

Meaning 9

cause to be distrusted or disbelieved

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The paper discredited the politician with its nasty commentary

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dismiss, disregard, brush aside, brush off, discount, push aside, ignore

10

verb

Meaning 10

damage the reputation of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This newspaper story discredits the politicians

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disgrace

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disparage, belittle, pick at

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des-bor. ▲ Latin dis-bor. Middle English dis- English dis- English credit English discredit From dis- + credit.

Across languages

Translations

55 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: descrèdit — act or state
  • Finnish: epäuskottavuus — act or state
  • Finnish: epäluotettavuus — act or state
  • French: discrédit — act or state
  • German: Misskredit — act or state
  • Irish: míchlú — act or state
  • Italian: vergogna — act or state
  • Italian: onta — act or state
  • Italian: disdoro — act or state
  • Italian: disonore — act or state
  • Italian: infamia — act or state
  • Manx: anghoo — act or state
  • Māori: hōnorekore — act or state
  • Polish: dyskredytacja — act or state
  • Portuguese: descrédito — act or state
  • Spanish: descrédito — act or state
  • Finnish: huono maine — degree
  • Portuguese: descrédito — degree
  • Armenian: վարկաբեկել (varkabekel) — harm reputation
  • Bulgarian: дискредити́рам (diskreditíram) — harm reputation
  • Catalan: desacreditar — harm reputation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 抹黑 (mǒhēi) — harm reputation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 敗壞 /败坏 名聲 /名声 (bàihuài) — harm reputation
  • Dutch: in diskrediet brengen — harm reputation
  • Esperanto: senkreditigi — harm reputation
  • Finnish: mustamaalata — harm reputation
  • Finnish: saattaa huonoon valoon — harm reputation
  • Finnish: osoittaa vääräksi — harm reputation
  • Finnish: diskreditoida — harm reputation
  • French: discréditer — harm reputation
  • German: in Misskredit bringen — harm reputation
  • German: diskreditieren — harm reputation
  • Ido: deskreditizar — harm reputation
  • Italian: screditare — harm reputation
  • Japanese: 信用を落とす (shin'yō o otosu) — harm reputation
  • Japanese: 信用を傷つける (shin'yō o kizutsukeru) — harm reputation
  • Japanese: 覆す (kutsugaesu) — harm reputation
  • Māori: whakahōnorekore — harm reputation
  • Māori: whakahahani — harm reputation
  • Māori: whakarōriki — harm reputation
  • Māori: whakanano — harm reputation
  • Māori: whakatuohu — harm reputation
  • Polish: dyskredytować — harm reputation
  • Polish: zdyskredytować — harm reputation
  • Portuguese: desacreditar — harm reputation
  • Romanian: discredita — harm reputation
  • Russian: дискредити́ровать (diskreditírovatʹ) — harm reputation
  • Russian: позо́рить (pozóritʹ) — harm reputation
  • Russian: опозо́рить (opozóritʹ) — harm reputation
  • Russian: бесче́стить (besčéstitʹ) — harm reputation
  • Russian: обесче́стить (obesčéstitʹ) — harm reputation
  • Spanish: desacreditar — harm reputation
  • Spanish: descreer — harm reputation
  • Swedish: misskreditera — harm reputation
  • Swedish: diskreditera — harm reputation