BELITTLE

Definition of BELITTLE

BELITTLE Verb

Belittle is a verb that means to make someone or something seem less impressive or important, often by disparaging or demeaning them.

To Make Someone Seem Less Important: As a verb, belittle refers to the act of making someone or something appear less important or significant. For example, “He belittled her achievements during the meeting,” indicates that he diminished the perceived value of her accomplishments.

To Disparage or Demean: Belittle involves disparaging or demeaning someone by minimizing their contributions, qualities, or efforts. For instance, “The manager belittled the team’s hard work,” suggests that the manager spoke in a way that undermined the team’s efforts and achievements.

To Downplay Significance: Belittle can also mean to downplay the significance or worth of something. For example, “The critic belittled the film’s artistic merits,” shows that the critic downplayed or disregarded the film’s artistic value.

To Undermine Confidence: By belittling, one can also undermine another’s confidence or self-esteem. For instance, “Constantly being belittled by his peers affected his self-confidence,” implies that the ongoing criticism diminished his confidence.

To Treat with Contempt: Belittle may involve treating someone or something with contempt or disrespect, making them appear trivial or unworthy. For example, “Her comments belittled the importance of the issue,” indicates that her remarks suggested the issue was not important.

To Insult or Offend: Belittle can be used to describe actions that insult or offend by suggesting that someone or something is of little worth. For instance, “The tone of his voice belittled the entire proposal,” implies that his tone made the proposal seem insignificant.

To Minimize Contributions: Belittle involves minimizing or disregarding the contributions or efforts of others. For example, “The supervisor belittled the interns’ ideas,” shows that the supervisor made the interns’ ideas seem less valuable.

To Undervalue: Belittle can also mean to undervalue someone’s skills or contributions, often resulting in a lack of appreciation. For example, “She felt belittled by the way her skills were undervalued in the workplace,” highlights that her abilities were not given proper recognition.

Belittle is a verb that involves making someone or something appear less important or impressive through disparagement or minimization. It encompasses actions that diminish significance, undermine confidence, or show disrespect, affecting how contributions, qualities, or achievements are perceived. Understanding belittle emphasizes its impact on perception and interactions, illustrating how words and actions can influence the value placed on individuals and their efforts.

DEMEANING

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DEHUMANISE

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BUZZ

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CRITICISING

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Examples of BELITTLE in a sentence

• He tends to belittle others to make himself feel superior.
• She was hurt when he tried to belittle her achievements.
• The manager’s comments served only to belittle the efforts of the team.
• It is unprofessional to belittle a colleague’s contribution during a meeting.
• They felt the need to belittle the competition to boost their own product’s appeal.
• Her intention was never to belittle anyone, but her words came across that way.
• He would often belittle her ideas without offering any constructive feedback.
• The critic’s review seemed designed to belittle rather than provide useful insights.

Origin of BELITTLE

Belittle traces its origins to Old French and has roots in Middle English.

• Old French: Beliteler (to make small or diminish), from belit (small) + -eler (a suffix forming verbs).
• Old French: The term beliteler was used to describe the act of making something appear less important or smaller.
• Middle English: Belittle entered English, preserving the sense of diminishing or making something seem less important.

In contemporary English, belittle refers to:

• Diminish Importance: To make someone or something seem less important or significant.
• Degrade: To speak of or treat someone in a way that makes them feel inferior or unimportant.

The term retains its core meaning from Old French, focusing on the act of diminishing the importance or value of something or someone.

GRACIOUS

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DEFENDER

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RESIDENT

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INHERENT

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