denigration

D2E1N1I1G2R1A1T1I1O1N1

noun

The act of making black; a blackening or defamation.

Similar
belittlingaspersioncalumnyslanderdefamationdeprecation
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

noundenigration (countable and uncountable, plural denigrations)

plural denigrations

  1. countableuncountableThe act of making black; a blackening or defamation.
  2. countableuncountableAn unfair criticism.

    To nostalgic eyes they became absolutely and almost mercifully unrecognisable. Nor did they escape a full measure of denigration.

    1952 January, Henry Maxwell, “Farewell to the "T14s"”, in Railway Magazine, page 57

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna belittling comment

Similar
belittling
Broader
disparagementdepreciationderogation

nounan abusive attack on a person's character or good name

Similar
aspersioncalumnyslanderdefamation
Broader
attack

nounthe act of expressing disapproval (especially of yourself)

Similar
deprecation
Broader
disparagementdispraise
Also see
aspersionbelittlementbelittlingcalumnydefamationdeprecationslander

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

By surface analysis, denigrate + -ion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَسْوِيد
  • تَسْوِيد (taswīd)blackening or defamation
Bulgarian очерня́не, почерня́не
  • очерня́не (očernjáne)blackening or defamation
  • почерня́не (počernjáne)blackening or defamation
Catalan denigració, difamació
  • denigracióblackening or defamation
  • difamacióunfair criticism
Finnish mustamaalaus
  • mustamaalausblackening or defamation
French dénigrement
  • dénigrementblackening or defamation
German Verunglimpfung, Anschwärzung
  • Verunglimpfungblackening or defamation
  • Anschwärzungunfair criticism
Icelandic ófræging, mannorðsspjöll
  • ófrægingblackening or defamation
  • mannorðsspjöllblackening or defamation
Irish aithisiú
  • aithisiúunfair criticism
Māori whakatakētanga
  • whakatakētangaunfair criticism
Russian очерне́ние, клевета́
  • очерне́ние (očernénije)blackening or defamation
  • клевета́ (klevetá)blackening or defamation
  • диффама́ция (diffamácija)blackening or defamation
  • хула́ (xulá)blackening or defamation
Spanish denigración
  • denigraciónblackening or defamation
Swedish smutskastning
  • smutskastningblackening or defamation

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with denigration

informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →

Anagrams

argentinoid
Cite this entry
APA

denigration. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/denigration

MLA

“denigration.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/denigration. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “denigration,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/denigration.

Source: denigration on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.