pejoratively

Meaning

1. 1adverbnot comparableformal

   In a way that shows scorn or a negative judgment, especially when a word carries an insulting tone.

   Grammar: Usually follows a verb such as use, refer or describe: he used the word pejoratively.

   Patterns

   • use something pejoratively
   • refer to someone pejoratively
   • be used pejoratively

   Some people use the word 'amateur' pejoratively, though it once simply meant someone who loves a subject.

   The critic described the band pejoratively as a copy of older groups.

   The term is often used pejoratively when talking about the countryside.

Common combinations

use a word pejoratively

Politicians sometimes use the word 'elite' pejoratively.

refer to pejoratively

The old rival was referred to pejoratively in the press.

describe pejoratively

He was pejoratively described as a mere hobbyist.

be used pejoratively

The label was used pejoratively by its critics.

speak pejoratively of

She spoke pejoratively of anyone who changed jobs often.

Synonyms and how they differ

disparagingly

Disparagingly stresses belittling someone or something, and is a little more general than pejoratively, which is often linked to the choice of word.

derogatorily

Derogatorily is almost identical but is rarer, and often suggests harm to someone's reputation.

scornfully

Scornfully focuses on the speaker's tone of contempt, whereas pejoratively often describes the word or label being used.

contemptuously

Contemptuously suggests a stronger, openly dismissive attitude than the mild criticism that pejoratively can show.

Opposites

Word family

pejorative adjective

expressing criticism or a low opinion

pejorative noun

a word or label that expresses contempt

pejoration noun

the process by which a word's meaning becomes more negative

Commonly confused: pejoratively or derogatorily?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pejoratively”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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