ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›D›disparage
ISEE/SSAThard
disparage
to speak of in a slighting or belittling way
Synonyms
- belittle
- deride
- demean
Antonyms
- praise
- commend
disparage in a sentence
The critic disparaged the film as a lazy retread of old ideas.
He often disparaged his rival's work to make his own look better.
Where it comes from
From Old French desparagier 'to degrade in rank'
Memory hook
DIS-parage sounds like 'DIS respect a PARAGraph' — you tear down someone's work with dismissive words.
Word parts
- dis — apart, away
disparage: dis- (down) + parage (rank) - par/para — beside, similar
disparage: dis- (down) + par (equal) + -age (act of)
Read it in context
- Before Sunrise Narrative