belittle C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes US /bɪˈlɪtəl/ UK /bɪˈlɪtəl/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to dismiss as unimportant or make seem small Don't belittle her achievements just because they differ from yours. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to dismiss as unimportant... disparagedenigrateminimizedeprecatediminishdownplaydemean ↔ Opposites praiseexaltmagnifyextol Word family Derived forms belittlementbelittlerbelittlingbelittlingly Related forms little Etymology AI details Coined in American English from be- ('to make') + little, attributed to Thomas Jefferson in the 1780s. be- Old English lȳtel Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Actions & Processes External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # belittle **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /bɪˈlɪtəl/ **IPA (UK):** /bɪˈlɪtəl/ ## Meanings 1. to dismiss as unimportant or make seem small ## Examples - Don't belittle her achievements just because they differ from yours. ## Synonyms - disparage - denigrate - minimize - deprecate - diminish - downplay - demean ## Antonyms - praise - exalt - magnify - extol ## Derived Forms - belittlement - belittler - belittling - belittlingly ## Related Forms - little ## Roots and Affixes - Root: be- - Root: lȳtel ## Etymology Coined in American English from be- ('to make') + little, attributed to Thomas Jefferson in the 1780s. ## AI Etymology Belittle is coined in American English from be- ('to make') + little, attributed to Thomas Jefferson in the 1780s. In present-day use, it means to dismiss as unimportant or make seem small. Derived formations include belittlement, belittler, belittling, and belittlingly. Related vocabulary includes little. ## Topics - Actions & Processes markdown