| Main Entry: | disparage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize; detract from |
Synonyms: |
abuse, belittle, chill*, cry down, decry, defame, degrade, deject, demoralize, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, deride, derogate, dis, discourage, discredit, disdain, dishearten, dismiss, dispirit, dispraise, downcry, dump on, lower, malign, minimize, pan, put down, put hooks in, rap, ridicule, roast, run down, scorch, scorn, slam*, slander, smear, sour grapes, tear down, traduce, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, vilify, write off |
Antonyms: |
approve, commend, compliment, flatter, laud, praise, sanction |
| Main Entry: | disparaging |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | derogative |
Synonyms: |
defamatory, depreciatory, derogatory, detractory, epithetical, minimizing, pejorative, snide, unfavorable |
Antonyms: |
complimentary |
| Main Entry: | abusive |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | exhibiting unkind behavior or words |
Synonyms: |
calumniating, castigating, censorious, contumelious, defamatory, derisive, disparaging, insolent, insulting, invective, libelous, maligning, obloquious, offensive, opprobrious, reproachful, reviling, rude, sarcastic, scathing, scolding, scurrilous, sharp-tongued, slanderous, traducing, upbraiding, vilifying, vituperative |
Antonyms: |
complimentary, kind, respectful |
| Main Entry: | bad-mouth |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | to denigrate |
Synonyms: |
belittle, criticize, cut down to size, dis, disparage, dump on, find fault, knock*, malign, mudsling, pan, pooh pooh, put down*, rap, rip, roast, run down, slam, slander, take a dig at, take down a peg, tear down, tear to pieces |
| Main Entry: | belittle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | detract |
Synonyms: |
bad-mouth, blister, criticize, cut down to size, cut to the quick, decry, deprecate, depreciate, deride, derogate, diminish, discount, discredit, disparage, dispraise, downgrade, downplay, dump on, knock*, lower, minimize, pan, pooh pooh, poor mouth, put down, rip*, roast, run down, scoff at, scorch*, scorn, shoot down, shoot full of holes, slam*, smear, sneer at, sour grapes, squash, squelch, take a swipe at, take down, take down a peg, tear down, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, write off |
Antonyms: |
build up, exaggerate, praise, value |
| Main Entry: | captious |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | very critical |
Synonyms: |
acrimonious, cantankerous, carping, caviling, cavillous, censorious, contrary, crabby, cross, demanding, deprecating, disparaging, exacting, exceptive, fault-finding, finicky, hypercritical, irritable, nagging, nit-picking, overcritical, peevish, perverse, petulant, sarcastic, severe, testy, touchy |
Antonyms: |
commendatory, complimentary, encouraging, flattering, laudatory, praising |
| Main Entry: | carping |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | complaining |
Synonyms: |
bellyaching, caviling, censorious, critical, criticizing, deprecatory, disparaging, fault-finding, griping, grouchy, grousing, grumbling, hypercritical, kvetching, moaning, nagging, niggling, nit-picking, overcritical, quibbling, scathing, whining |
Antonyms: |
complimentary, forgiving |
| Main Entry: | censorious |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | very critical |
Synonyms: |
accusatory, captious, carping, caviling, cavillous, chiding, complaining, condemnatory, condemning, critical, culpatory, denouncing, disapproving, disparaging, fault-finding, hypercritical, overcritical, reprehending, reproaching, severe |
Antonyms: |
complimentary, encouraging, flattering, laudatory, praising |
| Main Entry: | censure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | condemn; criticize severely |
Synonyms: |
abuse, admonish, animadvert, asperse, attack, backbite, berate, blame, carp at, castigate, cavil, chastise, chide, contemn, cut up, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, disapprove, discipline, disparage, exprobate, find fault with, get after, impugn, incriminate, judge, knock, lecture, look askance, ostracize, pick apart, pull apart, read out, rebuff, rebuke, remonstrate, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, scold, take to task, tear apart, tell off, upbraid |
| Notes: | to censor is to disallow portions or the entireties of books, plays, etc. on the grounds that they transgress propriety, 'to scrutinize, revise, or cut,' expurgate or suppress; to censure is to criticize vehemently or harshly, or condemn |
Antonyms: |
allow, approve, compliment, endorse, laud, permit, sanction |
| Main Entry: | cheapen |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | diminish worth |
Synonyms: |
abase, beat down, belittle, corrupt, damage, debase, decline, decry, degrade, demean, denigrate, depreciate, derogate, devalue, discredit, disparage, downgrade, drop, fall, lose value, lower, mar, mark down, minimize, reduce, render worthless, ruin, spoil, undervalue, write off |
Antonyms: |
appreciate, enhance, increase, raise, upgrade |