Skip to content

dénigrer

disparage, belittle, denigrate

verb deh-nee-GREH Rare

Usage Note

Dénigrer means to speak ill of someone or something in a systematic or unfair way, and carries a stronger negative charge than critiquer. It is often used in legal or professional contexts — dénigrement (disparagement) can constitute a civil wrong in French law when it harms a competitor's reputation. The verb is always transitive.

Examples

"Il dénigre toujours le travail des autres."

Natural Translation

He always disparages other people's work.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic