depreciate

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

v. disparage, derogate, discredit, belittle, cheapen, slump, fall, rundown (inf.), knock (sl.).

See detraction, cheapness, decrease.

II

(Roget's IV) v.

1. [To decline in value or quantity]

Syn. devalue, deteriorate, lessen; see decay , decrease 1 .

2. [To lower in reputation]

Syn. belittle, disparage, denigrate, deprecate, lower, run down, decry, discredit, minimize, ridicule, condemn, denounce, dispraise, calumniate, undervalue, underrate, traduce, cast aspersions on, attack, vilify, defame, malign, slander, sneer at, fault, revile, deride, spurn, make slighting reference to, speak ill of, derogate, contemn, slight, detract, slur, hold cheap, scoff at, sneer at, find fault with, make light of, make little of, play down, downplay, downgrade, pooh-pooh*, knock*, smear*, put down*, take down a peg*, cut down to size*, rap*, slam*, roast*; see also censure , disgrace , humble , humiliate .

Ant. raise*, praise, extol.

to depreciate is to lessen (something) in value as by implying that it has less worth than is usually attributed to it [ he depreciated her generosity ] ; to disparage is to attempt to lower in esteem, as by insinuation, invidious comParison, faint praise; decry implies vigorous public denunciation, often from the best of motives [ to decry corruption in government ] ; belittle implies depreciation, but stresses a contemptuous attitude in the speaker or writer; minimize suggests an ascription of the least possible value or importance [ don't minimize your own efforts ]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) v.

1. lose value cheapen, downgrade, drop, deflate, diminish, shrink, soften, depress, devalue, decay, wane, fall, ebb.

2. belittle diminish, put down, disparage, denigrate, deprecate, ridicule, underestimate, minimize, find fault, slight.

ANT.: 1. appreciate, increase, grow, boom. 2. value, esteem, appreciate

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb 1. To become or make less in price or value: cheapen, depress, devaluate, devalue, downgrade, lower2, mark down, reduce, write down. See INCREASE, MONEY. 2. To think, represent, or speak of as small or unimportant: belittle, decry, denigrate, deprecate, derogate, detract, discount, disparage, downgrade, minimize, run down, slight, talk down. Idiom: make light (or little) of. See ATTACK, SHOW.