Belittle

Pronunciation: /bɪˈlɪtəl/

Definitions of belittle

verb to make someone or something seem less impressive or important

Example Sentences

A1 She didn't mean to belittle his efforts, she just didn't understand.

A2 The coach belittled the player's skills in front of the whole team.

B1 It's not right to belittle someone just because they have a different opinion.

B2 The critic's review of the movie seemed to belittle the director's work.

C1 The professor's comments seemed to belittle the student's research findings.

C2 He had a tendency to belittle others in order to make himself feel superior.

Examples of belittle in a Sentence

formal It is inappropriate to belittle others in a professional setting.

informal Don't belittle your sister's achievements just because you're jealous.

slang Stop trying to belittle me, I know what I'm doing.

figurative His constant criticism seemed to belittle her very existence.

Grammatical Forms of belittle

• past tense: belittled
• plural: belittles
• comparative: more belittling
• superlative: most belittling
• present tense: belittles
• future tense: will belittle
• perfect tense: have belittled
• continuous tense: is belittling
• singular: belittles
• positive degree: belittle
• infinitive: to belittle
• gerund: belittling
• participle: belittled

Origin and Evolution of belittle

First Known Use: 1750 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'belittle' originated from the combination of the prefix 'be-' meaning 'make, cause to be' and the word 'little' meaning 'small'.

Evolution of the word: Originally, 'belittle' was used to describe the act of making something seem less impressive or important. Over time, the word has evolved to also encompass the idea of diminishing someone's worth or importance through words or actions.