denigrate
verb
[ ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt ]
• criticize unfairly; disparage.
• "doom and gloom merchants who denigrate their own country"
Similar:
disparage,
belittle,
diminish,
deprecate,
cast aspersions on,
decry,
criticize unfairly,
attack,
speak ill of,
speak badly of,
blacken the character of,
blacken the name of,
give someone a bad name,
sully the reputation of,
spread lies about,
defame,
slander,
libel,
calumniate,
besmirch,
run down,
abuse,
insult,
slight,
revile,
malign,
vilify,
slur,
bad-mouth,
do a hatchet job on,
pull to pieces,
pull apart,
sling mud at,
throw mud at,
drag through the mud,
rubbish,
slag off,
have a go at,
slate,
asperse,
derogate,
vilipend,
vituperate,
Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘blacken, make dark’): from Latin denigrat- ‘blackened’, from the verb denigrare, from de- ‘away, completely’ + nigrare (from niger ‘black’).
