Meaning & use
belittling
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“belittling” is a form of “belittle”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Making someone or something seem unimportant or less impressive; causing a person to feel small or worthless.
Grammar: Usually used before a noun: 'belittling remarks'. It can also follow a linking verb: 'His comments were belittling.'
Patterns
- belittling remarks
- belittling comments
- belittling behavior
His belittling remarks made her feel incompetent.
She was tired of his belittling attitude toward her career.
The teacher's belittling tone discouraged the students.
verbtransitive
The present participle of 'belittle': making someone or something seem less important.
Grammar: Used after auxiliary verbs to form continuous tenses: 'He is belittling her.'
Patterns
- belittling someone
- belittling something
Stop belittling your brother in front of his friends.
She was belittling his efforts, which hurt him deeply.
They are always belittling each other's ideas.
Common combinations
- belittling remarks
- His constant belittling remarks destroyed her confidence.
- belittling comments
- She ignored the belittling comments and continued her work.
- belittling attitude
- His belittling attitude toward women was unacceptable.
- belittling someone's achievements
- Belittling someone's achievements is a form of bullying.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demeaning
- Demeaning suggests lowering someone's dignity, while belittling focuses on making someone seem small or unimportant.
- disparaging
- Disparaging means expressing a low opinion; belittling often implies making the person feel less worthy.
- derogatory
- Derogatory is stronger and often refers to insulting language; belittling can be subtler.
Opposites
Word family
- belittle verb
- To make someone or something seem unimportant.
- belittlement noun
- The act of making someone feel small.
Commonly confused: belittling or belittling vs. belittled?
belittling vs belittling vs. belittled
'Belittling' describes the person or thing doing the action (active); 'belittled' describes the person receiving it (passive): 'He felt belittled by her comments.'
Practice
Which sentence uses 'belittling' correctly?
Choose one answer.
In B, 'belittling' is an adjective before 'remarks'. In A, 'belittling' should be 'belittled' (passive). In C, 'belittling' cannot be followed by 'of' in this way. In D, 'belittling' as a noun is rare and would need a different structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “belittling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.