MEANING
To disparage someone or something in a way that reduces its perceived worth or significance.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- belittle an achievement
- belittle someone’s concerns
On the page
He belittled her achievement by calling it a matter of luck.
She refused to belittle the concern simply because she did not share it.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- belittle
- Past tense
- belittled
- Past participle
- belittled
- Present participle
- belittling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- belittle
- Present continuous
- am/is/are belittling
- Present perfect
- have/has belittled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been belittling
- Past
- belittled
- Past continuous
- was/were belittling
- Past perfect
- had belittled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been belittling
- Future
- will belittle
- Future continuous
- will be belittling
- Future perfect
- will have belittled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been belittling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: belittle; belittles; belittled; belittled; belittling Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: belittles.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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