deprecate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   belittle or make light of

   The teacher should not deprecate their student's efforts.

2. 2
   verb

   To express disapproval of, protest or plead against.

   They deprecated the attempt to deny aid to homeless people.

3. 3
   verb

   To belittle, depreciate.

   He deprecates any praise of his own merits.

4. 4
   verb

   To declare something obsolescent; to recommend against a function, technique, command, etc. that still works but has been replaced.

   The 'bold' tag has been deprecated in favour of the 'strong' tag.

5. 5
   verb

   To pray against.

   And in deprecating of Evil, we make an humble Acknowledgement of Guilt; and of God’s Juſtice in chaſtizing, as well as Clemency, in ſparing the Guilty.

6. 6
   verb

   express strong disapproval of

7. 7
   verb

   To regret deeply.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēprecātus, perfect active participle of dēprecor (“to pray against (a present or impending evil) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), pray for, intercede for (that which is in danger), rarely imprecate”), from dē- (“off”) + precor (“to pray”).