belittling

adjective
UK: /bɪˈlɪtlɪŋ/
US: /bɪˈlɪtlɪŋ/

  1. Making someone feel unimportant by expressing a poor opinion of them.

    1. His belittling remarks made her feel small and insignificant. [ ] [ ]
    2. She found his constant belittling of her efforts incredibly demoralizing, creating tension in the team. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

demeaning disparaging derogatory
belittling noun

  1. The action of making a person or thing seem little or unimportant.

    1. He hated the belittling he suffered at his workplace. [ ] [ ]
    2. Her constant belittling was damaging their relationship over time, leading to resentment. [ ] [ ]
belittling verb

  1. Present participle of belittle: to make someone or something seem unimportant.

    1. He is belittling her efforts in front of everyone. [ ] [ ]
    2. She felt he was belittling her achievements to make himself feel more superior. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "belittling" is /bɪˈlɪtlɪŋ/ in British English and /bɪˈlɪtlɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "belittling": demeaning, disparaging, derogatory.

Example usage of "belittling": "His belittling remarks made her feel small and insignificant.". More examples on the page.