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Verb: denigrate  'de-nu`greyt
  1. Cause to seem less serious; play down
    "Don't denigrate his influence"
    - minimize, belittle, derogate, minimise [Brit]
     
  2. Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
    "The journalists have denigrated me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"
    - defame, slander, smirch, asperse, calumniate, smear, sully, besmirch

Derived forms: denigrating, denigrates, denigrated

See also: denigration, denigrative

Type of: accuse, belittle, charge, disparage, pick at

Encyclopedia: Denigrate