Root & Synonym Clusters 7: To look Down On, aka “D” words
In our Root & Synonym Clusters 5: Laud Roots and to Praise Synonyms, we encountered words we use when we look up to people. In this new installment we consider their antonyms, words we use to “look down on.” For some crazy reason, many of them begin with the letter “D,” which you can use to your advantage as a mnemonic. Do you know that word, mnemonic? decry – publicly denounce: they decried human rights abuses. denigrate – to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame: to denigrate someone’s character defame – to attack the good name or reputation of, as by uttering or publishing maliciously or falsely anything injurious; calumniate: The newspaper editorial defamed the politician. deprecate – express disapproval of: he sniffed in a deprecating way. disparage – regard or represent as being of little worth: he never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors. disdain […]
