Meaning & use

discredit

verb·Academic

To damage someone's reputation, or to cause doubt about the truth or reliability of a claim.

See it in a sentence

The journalist's report aimed to discredit the company's safety claims.

New evidence quickly discredited the witness's entire testimony.

A note on using this word

Discredit targets a person's or claim's credibility specifically, rather than general dislike or disagreement.

Words with a similar meaning

disparageundermine

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

vindicatevalidate

Make it your own

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