The worddenigrate has been part of English since the 16th century and can be traced back to the Latinnigrare, meaning "to blacken." Whendenigrate was first used, it meant "to cast aspersions on someone's character or reputation." Eventually, it developed a second sense of "to make black" ("factory smoke denigrated the sky"), representing an interesting case of a literal sense (now rare) following a figurative one. Nowadays, you’re most likely to heardenigrate used as a synonym ofdefame orbelittle.

Latindenigratus, past participle ofdenigrare, fromde- +nigrare to blacken, fromnigr-, niger black

1526, in the meaning defined atsense 1

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster ondenigrate

Nglish:Translation ofdenigrate for Spanish Speakers

Word of the Day