📉 Lowering value 😒 Disapproving

depreciatory

8.2

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

adjective
/dɪˈpriːʃəˌtɔri/

: despectivo

He felt the teacher's depreciatory tone during the meeting made him less confident.

Examples

The critic's review was full of depreciatory remarks about the play's script.
The word calligraphic conveys to us a slightly depreciatory sense.

Academic text (2013)
When the chorus of devils in "Mobius Strip Tease" cry out that "Reduced to essentials" a woman is "simply a torus," the poet may be making a joke, but the depreciatory vision of woman presented there informs all his writing, whether overtly or covertly.

Academic text (1992)
Her depreciatory comments about the team's performance hurt everyone's feelings.

Synonyms

dismissive

vsdepreciatory

43 5.6

Acting as if someone or something is not important

is more directly aimed at lowering value rather than showing indifference

derogatory

vsdepreciatory

39 6.9

Expressing an insulting, disrespectful view of someone or something

matches the belittling tone but focuses on value diminution specifically

demeaning

vsdepreciatory

33 4.8

Making someone feel small and unimportant

targets the idea of devaluing generally rather than the personal dignity effect

degrading

vsdepreciatory

21 5.5

Causing someone to feel ashamed and less respected

is related but tends to be milder, focusing on lowering worth

disdainful

vsdepreciatory

8 7.0

Showing that you think someone or something is not worth respect

is similar but emphasises lowering value rather than proud contempt

scornful

vsdepreciatory

7 5.1

Showing that you think someone does not deserve respect

is less about strong contempt and more about diminishing value calmly

disapproving

vsdepreciatory

5 3.4

Showing that you do not agree with or like something

is more about active devaluation and belittling than mere disapproval

deprecating

vsdepreciatory

1 6.9

Showing that you think something is not good or important

expresses the same belittling attitude but with broader focus on value

disparaging

vsdepreciatory

Offensive

1 7.0

Showing a low opinion of someone or something

is similar but more about reducing value than general disrespect

deprecatory

vsdepreciatory

1 8.5

Showing that you disapprove of something or think it is unimportant

is the same negative view but emphasizes lowering overall value

depreciative

vsdepreciatory

Offensive

7.8

Expressing a low opinion of someone or something

is similar but stresses a negative opinion rather than formal value loss

deprecative

vsdepreciatory

7.6

Showing you do not like or value something

focuses more on devaluing worth rather than mere unimportance

belittling

vsdepreciatory

6.2

Showing that someone or something has little value

centres on devaluation generally rather than personal diminishment

derogative

vsdepreciatory

8.1

Showing a bad opinion of someone to make them seem less important

is similar yet places more weight on devaluing than insult intent

slighting

vsdepreciatory

Offensive

8.0

Showing little respect and trying to make someone feel unimportant

focuses on reducing worth rather than on direct insult or contempt

Antonyms

complimentary

18 4.2

Saying good things about someone to show you admire them

approving

1.3

Showing that you like and accept someone or something

How Disparaging

pejorative

15 8.2

disparaging

Offensive

1 7.0

depreciatory

8.2

disapproving

5 3.4

critical

210 3.8

Surface Forms

depreciatory positive

Morphology

depreciatory = depreciate (semi-transparent) = depreciate + ory

Built from 'depreciate' but here the evaluative sense 'belittling' is a sense extension that may not be obvious to learners who only know the financial sense.

Etymology

Depreciatory comes from the parts de- 'down' and pretium 'price', the same root as the word price. So it also came to mean 'say something that makes someone or something seem less valuable or important', which is why a comment is called depreciatory when it puts someone down.