to cut others down - Glite Dictionary

Examples

Instead of cutting others down, you should try to encourage them.
She always tries to cut others down to make herself feel better.
Don't cut others down!
He always cuts others down to make himself feel better.
She often cuts others down with her sarcastic comments during meetings.
His habit of cutting others down makes teamwork very difficult.
Instead of supporting her friend, she chose to cut her down with harsh criticisms.

Synonyms

to insult

vsto cut others down

Offensive

543 2.1

To say or do something rude to someone

is broader, including hurtful remarks that are dismissive but not always abusive

to take down

vsto cut others down

Informal

144 5.1

To say cruel things to make people think less of someone

is similar but often focuses on emotional belittling rather than status only

to put down

vsto cut others down

Offensive

55 4.9

To make someone feel unimportant by saying bad things about them

focuses specifically on causing hurt or dismissive treatment

to denigrate

vsto cut others down

48 7.8

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

is more generally about hurtful or dismissive personal attacks

to belittle

vsto cut others down

45 5.0

To make someone or something seem not important

is more about hurting people with dismissive criticism

to disparage

vsto cut others down

28 7.7

To speak badly about someone or something to show little respect

is similar but stresses causing emotional harm through belittling

to talk down to

vsto cut others down

Offensive

15 6.6

Speak to someone as if they are less smart or important

is more generally about hurting people rather than showing intellectual superiority

to talk down

vsto cut others down

Offensive

14 6.7

To speak to someone as if they are less smart or less important

focuses more on blunt hurtful criticism rather than patronizing tone

to cut down to size

vsto cut others down

Informal

3 6.7

To make someone less proud by showing they are not as good as they think

is more about general hurtful or dismissive criticism not only arrogance

to knock down a peg

vsto cut others down

Informal

3 7.6

Make someone feel less proud by criticizing or embarrassing them

is broader, covering hurtful comments beyond lowering pride alone

to do down

vsto cut others down

Offensive

3 8.6

To say bad things about someone to make them look worse

is broader, covering any hurtful or dismissive criticism

to derogate

vsto cut others down

1 8.4

Say or do things that make someone seem less respected

aims more at hurting or dismissing others emotionally

to cry down

vsto cut others down

1 7.1

To speak badly about someone or something in public

is used more for personal hurt or dismissive attacks rather than public critique

Antonyms

to encourage

∞ 2.3

Give someone support and confidence so they try or keep doing something

to uplift

23 3.2

To make someone feel happier and more hopeful

How Harsh

to humiliate

Offensive

414 6.1

to disparage

28 7.7

to belittle

45 5.0

to cut others down

Offensive

7.0

to criticize

701 3.3

Surface Forms

cut others down infinitive

cut others down past

cut others down past participle

cutting others down present participle

cuts others down third person singular

Morphology

cut + other + down

There is a clear metaphorical link: knowing 'cut' (to injure/reduce) plus 'down' (to lower/bring down) and 'others' makes the general idea of lowering or harming other people understandable, so part of the meaning is derivable. However, the specific sense of verbally belittling or criticizing (rather than physically cutting or reducing) is an idiomatic extension that a learner may not fully predict without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Cut others down may come from the simple image of using a saw to cut a tall tree down, so it falls and becomes smaller. That picture of making someone 'smaller' helps explain why the phrase now means 'to criticize or belittle'.