Belittling
Belittling adjective - Intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value.
Usage example: there's no need for belittling comments about your brother's trumpet playing
Demeaning and belittling are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Demeaning" instead the word "Belittling" as an adjective or a noun.
Demeaning
Demeaning adjective - Intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value.
Usage example: demanded an apology from the men's football coach for his demeaning comments on women athletes
Belittling and demeaning are semantically related. You can use "Belittling" instead the word "Demeaning" as an adjective or a noun.
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- critical and belittling
- critical and demeaning
- insulting and belittling
- insulting and demeaning
- scornful and belittling
- scornful and demeaning
- contemptuous and belittling
- contemptuous and demeaning
- deprecatory and belittling
- deprecatory and demeaning
- depreciative and belittling
- depreciative and demeaning
- disparaging and belittling
- disparaging and demeaning
Both words in one sentence
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The character addresses the Love Interest in some extremely demeaning manner, such as treating him as her property, as being lower than human, or lower in status, even using belittling names like "dog", "slave", or "toy" instead.
Source: Shana Clone -
Verbal Abuse - swearing at, belittling, and demeaning an older person
Source: Elder Abuse
Cite this Source
Demeaning and Belittling. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 11, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/belittling/demeaning
Belittling & Demeaning. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/belittling/demeaning>.
Demeaning or Belittling. 2016. Accessed August 11, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/belittling/demeaning.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "belittling" and "demeaning" have occurred on timeline