How to pronounce denigrate
Say it like DEN-ih-grayt. Denigrate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce denigrate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DEN
- ih
- grayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Denigrate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- graytKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of denigrate
American and British speakers say denigrate in essentially the same way: /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/ in the US and /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: DEN-ih-grayt.
What does denigrate mean?
- To criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.
- To treat as worthless; belittle, degrade or disparage.“You have no right to denigrate people and things that you have no personal experience with.”
- To blacken.
- Blackened.
Where does denigrate come from?
Derived from Latin dēnigrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēnigrō (“to blacken”) [see -ate (verb-forming suffix)], from dē- (“of; from”) + nigrō (“to blacken”) [from niger (“black”)].
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying denigrate
How do you pronounce denigrate?
Say DEN-ih-grayt. The American pronunciation is /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/. In British English it is /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in denigrate?
Denigrate has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DEN). Broken into parts: DEN · ih · grayt.
Do Americans and Brits say denigrate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/ and the British form is /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.