"belittle" meaning in All languages combined

See belittle on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

IPA: /bɪˈlɪt.əl/ [UK, US] Audio: en-us-belittle.ogg [US], en-au-belittle.ogg [Australia] Forms: belittles [present, singular, third-person], belittling [participle, present], belittled [participle, past], belittled [past]
Rhymes: -ɪtəl Etymology: From be- + little. Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782 Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|be|little}} be- + little, {{coin|en|Thomas Jefferson|in=1782|nobycat=1}} Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782 Head templates: {{en-verb}} belittle (third-person singular simple present belittles, present participle belittling, simple past and past participle belittled)
  1. (transitive) To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation. Tags: transitive Synonyms: understate, make light of, denigrate, degrade, deprecate, disparage, downplay, play down, trivialize, bagatellize Translations (to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is): صَغَّرَ (ṣaḡḡara) (Arabic), اِحْتَقَرَ (iḥtaqara) (Arabic), նվազեցնել (nvazecʻnel) (Armenian), պակասեցնել (pakasecʻnel) (Armenian), омаловажавам (omalovažavam) (Bulgarian), menysprear (Catalan), menystenir (Catalan), menystindre (Catalan), 貶低 (Chinese Mandarin), 贬低 (biǎndī) (Chinese Mandarin), 輕視 (Chinese Mandarin), 轻视 (qīngshì) (english: to look down on) (Chinese Mandarin), shazovat (Czech), bagatelizovat (Czech), kleineren (Dutch), afkraken (english: more destructive) (Dutch), vähätellä (Finnish), déprécier (French), rabaisser (French), menosprezar (Galician), schmälern (German), herunterspielen (German), herabsetzen (German), kleinreden (German), verniedlichen (German), lekicsinyel (Hungarian), bagatellizál (Hungarian), elbagatellizál (Hungarian), sminuire (Italian), 侮る (anadoru) (Japanese), 軽視する (keishi suru) (Japanese), 矮小化する (waishōka suru) (Japanese), омаловажува (omalovažuva) (Macedonian), ഇകഴ്ത്തുക (ikaḻttuka) (Malayalam), കൊച്ചാക്കുക (koccākkuka) [idiomatic] (Malayalam), tānoa (Maori), nedvurdere (Norwegian Bokmål), fornedre (Norwegian Bokmål), bagatellisere (Norwegian Bokmål), denigrar (Occitan), mespresar (Occitan), despreciar (Occitan), rebaissar (Occitan), lekceważyć [imperfective] (Polish), zlekceważyć [perfective] (Polish), bagatelizować [imperfective] (Polish), zbagatelizować [perfective] (Polish), depreciar (Portuguese), deprecia (Romanian), minimaliza (Romanian), занижа́ть (zanižátʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), принижа́ть (prinižátʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), преуменьша́ть (preumenʹšátʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), умаля́ть (umaljátʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), недооце́нивать (nedoocénivatʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), menospreciar (Spanish), minimizar (Spanish), disminuir (Spanish), förringa (Swedish), förminska (Swedish), maliit (maliitin) (Tagalog), küçümsemek (Turkish), прини́жувати (prynýžuvaty) [imperfective] (Ukrainian), прини́зити (prynýzyty) [perfective] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-belittle-en-verb-R8SCEAIF Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English quotations with omitted translation, English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 92 8 Disambiguation of English quotations with omitted translation: 90 10 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 68 32 Disambiguation of 'to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is': 98 2
  2. (transitive) To make small. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-belittle-en-verb-U4QLGbud
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: belittled, belittlement, belittling Related terms: vilipend, cut down

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for belittle meaning in All languages combined (15.6kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "belittled"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "belittlement"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "belittling"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "little"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + little",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Thomas Jefferson",
        "in": "1782",
        "nobycat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782",
      "name": "coin"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From be- + little. Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "belittles",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "belittling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "belittled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "belittled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "belittle (third-person singular simple present belittles, present participle belittling, simple past and past participle belittled)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "vilipend"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cut down"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "exaggerate"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "92 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "90 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English quotations with omitted translation",
          "parents": [
            "Quotations with omitted translation",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Don't belittle your colleagues.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1941 March, “Notes and News: Underestimating the Enemy's Strength”, in Railway Magazine, page 129",
          "text": "An essential part of any German campaign is obviously the efficiency of its lines of communication and therefore it is dangerous to belittle our enemy's strength in this direction.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006, Mark Steyn, chapter 9, in America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It, page 201",
          "text": "Under the rules as understood by the New York Times, the West is free to mock and belittle its Judeo-Christian inheritance, and, likewise, the Muslim world is free to mock and belittle the West's Judeo-Christian inheritance.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation."
      ],
      "id": "en-belittle-en-verb-R8SCEAIF",
      "links": [
        [
          "contempt",
          "contempt"
        ],
        [
          "deprecation",
          "deprecation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "understate"
        },
        {
          "word": "make light of"
        },
        {
          "word": "denigrate"
        },
        {
          "word": "degrade"
        },
        {
          "word": "deprecate"
        },
        {
          "word": "disparage"
        },
        {
          "word": "downplay"
        },
        {
          "word": "play down"
        },
        {
          "word": "trivialize"
        },
        {
          "word": "bagatellize"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ṣaḡḡara",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "صَغَّرَ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "iḥtaqara",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "اِحْتَقَرَ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "nvazecʻnel",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "նվազեցնել"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "pakasecʻnel",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "պակասեցնել"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "omalovažavam",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "омаловажавам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "menysprear"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "menystenir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "menystindre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "貶低"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "biǎndī",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "贬低"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "輕視"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cmn",
          "english": "to look down on",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qīngshì",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "轻视"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "shazovat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "bagatelizovat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "kleineren"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "nl",
          "english": "more destructive",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "afkraken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "vähätellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "déprécier"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "rabaisser"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "menosprezar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "schmälern"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "herunterspielen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "herabsetzen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "kleinreden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "verniedlichen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "lekicsinyel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "bagatellizál"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "elbagatellizál"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "sminuire"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "anadoru",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "侮る"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "keishi suru",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "軽視する"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "waishōka suru",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "矮小化する"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "omalovažuva",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "омаловажува"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ml",
          "lang": "Malayalam",
          "roman": "ikaḻttuka",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "ഇകഴ്ത്തുക"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ml",
          "lang": "Malayalam",
          "roman": "koccākkuka",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "കൊച്ചാക്കുക"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "tānoa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "nedvurdere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "fornedre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "bagatellisere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "oc",
          "lang": "Occitan",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "denigrar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "oc",
          "lang": "Occitan",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "mespresar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "oc",
          "lang": "Occitan",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "despreciar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "oc",
          "lang": "Occitan",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "rebaissar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "lekceważyć"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zlekceważyć"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "bagatelizować"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zbagatelizować"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "depreciar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "deprecia"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "minimaliza"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zanižátʹ",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "занижа́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prinižátʹ",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "принижа́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "preumenʹšátʹ",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "преуменьша́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "umaljátʹ",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "умаля́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nedoocénivatʹ",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "недооце́нивать"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "menospreciar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "minimizar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "disminuir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "förringa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "förminska"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "maliit (maliitin)"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "word": "küçümsemek"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "prynýžuvaty",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "прини́жувати"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "prynýzyty",
          "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "прини́зити"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2022, Ian McEwan, Lessons, page 357",
          "text": "Now, the big blue space of river and sky belittled him, ulled him back into bewildered childhood.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make small."
      ],
      "id": "en-belittle-en-verb-U4QLGbud",
      "links": [
        [
          "small",
          "small"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To make small."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪˈlɪt.əl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪtəl"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-belittle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/4c/En-us-belittle.ogg/En-us-belittle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/En-us-belittle.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-belittle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/99/En-au-belittle.ogg/En-au-belittle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/En-au-belittle.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "belittle"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English coinages",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English quotations with omitted translation",
    "English terms prefixed with be-",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with quotations",
    "English verbs",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪtəl",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪtəl/3 syllables"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "belittled"
    },
    {
      "word": "belittlement"
    },
    {
      "word": "belittling"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "little"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + little",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Thomas Jefferson",
        "in": "1782",
        "nobycat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782",
      "name": "coin"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From be- + little. Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "belittles",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "belittling",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "belittled",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "belittled",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "belittle (third-person singular simple present belittles, present participle belittling, simple past and past participle belittled)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "vilipend"
    },
    {
      "word": "cut down"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "exaggerate"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Don't belittle your colleagues.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1941 March, “Notes and News: Underestimating the Enemy's Strength”, in Railway Magazine, page 129",
          "text": "An essential part of any German campaign is obviously the efficiency of its lines of communication and therefore it is dangerous to belittle our enemy's strength in this direction.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006, Mark Steyn, chapter 9, in America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It, page 201",
          "text": "Under the rules as understood by the New York Times, the West is free to mock and belittle its Judeo-Christian inheritance, and, likewise, the Muslim world is free to mock and belittle the West's Judeo-Christian inheritance.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "contempt",
          "contempt"
        ],
        [
          "deprecation",
          "deprecation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "understate"
        },
        {
          "word": "make light of"
        },
        {
          "word": "denigrate"
        },
        {
          "word": "degrade"
        },
        {
          "word": "deprecate"
        },
        {
          "word": "disparage"
        },
        {
          "word": "downplay"
        },
        {
          "word": "play down"
        },
        {
          "word": "trivialize"
        },
        {
          "word": "bagatellize"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2022, Ian McEwan, Lessons, page 357",
          "text": "Now, the big blue space of river and sky belittled him, ulled him back into bewildered childhood.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make small."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "small",
          "small"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To make small."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪˈlɪt.əl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪtəl"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-belittle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/4c/En-us-belittle.ogg/En-us-belittle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/En-us-belittle.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-belittle.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/99/En-au-belittle.ogg/En-au-belittle.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/En-au-belittle.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ṣaḡḡara",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "صَغَّرَ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "iḥtaqara",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "اِحْتَقَرَ"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "nvazecʻnel",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "նվազեցնել"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "pakasecʻnel",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "պակասեցնել"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "omalovažavam",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "омаловажавам"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "menysprear"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "menystenir"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "menystindre"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "貶低"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "biǎndī",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "贬低"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "輕視"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "english": "to look down on",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qīngshì",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "轻视"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "shazovat"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "bagatelizovat"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "kleineren"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "english": "more destructive",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "afkraken"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "vähätellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "déprécier"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "rabaisser"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "menosprezar"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "schmälern"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "herunterspielen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "herabsetzen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "kleinreden"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "verniedlichen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "lekicsinyel"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "bagatellizál"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "elbagatellizál"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "sminuire"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "anadoru",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "侮る"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "keishi suru",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "軽視する"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "waishōka suru",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "矮小化する"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "omalovažuva",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "омаловажува"
    },
    {
      "code": "ml",
      "lang": "Malayalam",
      "roman": "ikaḻttuka",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "ഇകഴ്ത്തുക"
    },
    {
      "code": "ml",
      "lang": "Malayalam",
      "roman": "koccākkuka",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "word": "കൊച്ചാക്കുക"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "tānoa"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "nedvurdere"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "fornedre"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "bagatellisere"
    },
    {
      "code": "oc",
      "lang": "Occitan",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "denigrar"
    },
    {
      "code": "oc",
      "lang": "Occitan",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "mespresar"
    },
    {
      "code": "oc",
      "lang": "Occitan",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "despreciar"
    },
    {
      "code": "oc",
      "lang": "Occitan",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "rebaissar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "lekceważyć"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zlekceważyć"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "bagatelizować"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zbagatelizować"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "depreciar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "deprecia"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "minimaliza"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zanižátʹ",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "занижа́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prinižátʹ",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "принижа́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "preumenʹšátʹ",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "преуменьша́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "umaljátʹ",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "умаля́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nedoocénivatʹ",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "недооце́нивать"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "menospreciar"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "minimizar"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "disminuir"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "förringa"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "förminska"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "maliit (maliitin)"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "word": "küçümsemek"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "prynýžuvaty",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "прини́жувати"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "prynýzyty",
      "sense": "to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "прини́зити"
    }
  ],
  "word": "belittle"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.