pejorate

C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈpɛdʒəreɪt/ UK /ˈpiːdʒəreɪt/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to make or become worse; to acquire a more negative meaning

Over centuries the word's sense began to pejorate into an insult.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make or become worse; to... worsen deteriorate disparage depreciate

Opposites

ameliorate improve elevate

Word family

Derived forms pejoration

Related forms pejorativepejoratively

Etymology

From Late Latin peiorare ('to make worse'), from Latin peior ('worse'), comparative of malus ('bad').

peiorare Latin peior Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

# pejorate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈpɛdʒəreɪt
**IPA (UK):** ˈpiːdʒəreɪt

## Meanings
1. to make or become worse; to acquire a more negative meaning

## Examples
- Over centuries the word's sense began to pejorate into an insult.

## Synonyms
- worsen
- deteriorate
- disparage
- depreciate

## Antonyms
- ameliorate
- improve
- elevate

## Derived Forms
- pejoration

## Related Forms
- pejorative
- pejoratively

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: peiorare
- Root: peior

## Etymology
From Late Latin peiorare ('to make worse'), from Latin peior ('worse'), comparative of malus ('bad').

## AI Etymology
Pejorate is from Late Latin peiorare ('to make worse'), from Latin peior ('worse'), comparative of malus ('bad'). Important recorded forms include peiorare (Latin) and peior (Latin). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers to make or become worse; to acquire a more negative meaning. The wider family includes derived forms such as pejoration and related words such as pejorative and pejoratively.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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pejorate

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