Disparage
/dɪˈspær.ɪdʒ/noun
To speak about someone or something as if they are less important or valuable.
Did you know?The word entered English from Old French, probably influenced by the idea of pairing someone unequally, so its history is tangled with rank, judgment, and social hierarchy.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
par
“equal; a match”
Late Latin / Vulgar Latin
Latin
*disparare
“to make unequal; to set apart”
Old French
Old French
desparagier
“to marry below one's rank; to make unequal”
14th Century
English
disparagen
“to match unequally; to marry beneath one's station”
Modern English
English
disparage
“to belittle; to speak of with slight contempt”