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belittled

belittled

5.6
Made to seem less important or less valued by other people
  • adjective
  • /bɪˈlɪtld/
translation icon : menospreciado
  • Despite her achievements, she often felt belittled by her colleagues during team meetings.

Examples

  • Sometimes they'll be repressed, sometimes they'll be dismissed, belittled, even turned into, as we might say in our own time, commodities.

  • His constant criticism belittled her efforts, making her doubt her own abilities.

  • Winning the award felt rewarding, but the way he belittled my contribution left me feeling undervalued.

Synonyms

to humiliate
vsbelittled
  • Offensive
414 6.1

Make someone feel very ashamed and foolish, often in front of others

reduces perceived importance without necessarily causing shame or public embarrassment
to diminish
vsbelittled
89 4.7

Make a person or thing seem less important

is more specific to reducing social standing rather than general size or strength
to humble
vsbelittled
58 5.3

To make someone feel less proud or important

often implies reducing pride rather than directly insulting worth
to put down
vsbelittled
  • Offensive
55 4.9

To make someone feel unimportant by saying bad things about them

includes actions beyond speech and not only verbal attacks
to degrade
vsbelittled
55 5.1

To treat someone so they feel ashamed or less respected

focuses on lowering status or importance, not necessarily on character quality
to demean
vsbelittled
53 6.8

To make someone feel less respected or important

emphasizes loss of dignity and honor rather than only decreased importance
to denigrate
vsbelittled
48 7.8

To say bad things about someone without a good reason to make them seem less important

is a broader term that does not necessarily imply unfairness
to belittle
vsbelittled
45 5.0

To make someone or something seem not important

is the past form used to show someone was made less important
demeaning
vsbelittled
33 4.8

Making someone feel small and unimportant

describes the loss of respect itself rather than the act causing it
to disparage
vsbelittled
28 7.7

To speak badly about someone or something to show little respect

applies more broadly to actions or effects beyond mere disrespect
degrading
vsbelittled
21 5.5

Causing someone to feel ashamed and less respected

focuses on reducing perceived importance rather than on moral integrity
unappreciated
vsbelittled
15 4.7

Not valued or thanked for what you do

is a passive lack of value rather than an act that reduces importance
to undervalue
vsbelittled
8 4.8

Think something or someone is less important than they really are

often describes a low estimation rather than an active attempt to lessen reputation
humbled
vsbelittled
8 4.4

Feeling less proud because something shows your limits

can mean being made to seem less important by others, not only an inner change
humiliated
vsbelittled
  • Offensive
1 3.7

Feeling ashamed and embarrassed because people laugh at you

describes lowered status or worth without the strong emotional shame emphasis
disparaging
vsbelittled
  • Offensive
1 7.0

Showing a low opinion of someone or something

aims to reduce someone's perceived importance rather than just state low opinion
to derogate
vsbelittled
1 8.4

Say or do things that make someone seem less respected

may describe the resulting status rather than focusing on speaking or acting
to depreciate
vsbelittled
1 6.5

Make a person or thing seem less important and less valuable

is about lowering perceived value rather than focusing on reputation
under-appreciated
vsbelittled
1 5.2

People do not give it enough praise or thanks

describes being undervalued rather than an action that makes it so
belittling
vsbelittled
6.2

Showing that someone or something has little value

describes the resulting state rather than the ongoing action
denigrating
vsbelittled
7.7

Harming someone's reputation by saying unfair or untrue things

focuses on reputational harm rather than simply lowering importance
to vilipend
vsbelittled
  • Archaic
9.9

To treat someone or something as unimportant and not worth much

has the same meaning but uses a different word form
slighting
vsbelittled
  • Offensive
8.0

Showing little respect and trying to make someone feel unimportant

can describe reduced importance without necessarily intending to insult
depreciatory
vsbelittled
8.2

Showing that someone or something is not important and often insulting them

refers to making someone seem less important, not only the negative tone
diminished
vsbelittled
  • Specialized
4.4

Smaller in size, strength or importance

is mainly about lowering perceived worth or reputation, not physical reduction
devalued
vsbelittled
4.2

Having less worth than before, for example money, things, or a person's work

covers lowering social reputation or importance rather than mainly economic value
to umble
vsbelittled
  • Archaic
9.9

To make someone feel less important or lower in social position

has the same meaning but is a different word form

Antonyms

1 3.7

A person or thing that people see as important because of good qualities

How Demeaned

humiliated
  • Offensive
1 3.7
belittled
5.6
slighting
  • Offensive
8.0

Surface Forms

belittled positive

Morphology

belittled = belittle (semi-transparent) = be + little + ed

The verb 'belittle' is derived from 'be-' + 'little', but the meaning shift to 'diminish in importance' is not fully transparent.

Etymology

Belittled comes from the prefix be- plus the word little, which originally meant 'make little'. So to belittle someone is to make them or their ideas seem smaller, less important, or worth less.