DENIGRATE Definition Meaning - Merriam-Webster When denigrate was first used, it meant "to cast aspersions on someone's character or reputation " Eventually, it developed a second sense of "to make black" ("factory smoke denigrated the sky"), representing an interesting case of a literal sense (now rare) following a figurative one
DENIGRATE Definition Meaning | Dictionary. com To denigrate is to say bad things — true or false — about a person or thing Your reputation as a math whiz might be hurt if your jealous classmate manages to denigrate you, even though the accusations are unfounded The verb denigrate comes from the Latin word denigrare, which means “to blacken ”