Adjacent Words

pejorative definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: expressing disapproval; "dyslogistic terms like `nitwit' and `scalawag'" [syn: dyslogistic, dislogistic, pejorative]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Date: 1882 a pejorative word or phrase II. adjective Etymology: Late Latin pejoratus, past participle of pejorare to make or become worse, from Latin pejor worse; akin to Sanskrit padyate he falls, Latin ped-, pes foot — more at foot Date: circa 1888 having negative connotations; especially tending to disparage or belittle ; depreciatory • pejoratively adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. (of a word, an expression, etc.) depreciatory. --n. a depreciatory word. Derivatives: pejoratively adv. Etymology: F péjoratif -ive f. LL pejorare make worse (pejor)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pejorative Pe*jor"a*tive, a. [F. p['e]joratif, fr. L. pejor, used as compar. of malus evil.] Implying or imputing evil; depreciatory; disparaging; unfavorable.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A pejorative word or expression is one that expresses criticism of someone or something. (FORMAL) I agree I am ambitious, and I don't see that as a pejorative term... = derogatory, disparaging ADJ

Moby Thesaurus

abusive, back-biting, belittling, bitchy, calumniatory, calumnious, catty, censorious, contemptuous, contumelious, defamatory, deprecatory, depreciative, depreciatory, derisive, derisory, derogative, derogatory, detracting, detractory, disadvantageous, disparaging, libelous, minimizing, ridiculing, scandalous, scurrile, scurrilous, slanderous, slighting, uncomplimentary, vilifying