To criticize unfairly; to attack the reputation of someone or something by speaking negatively about them.
From Latin 'denigratus,' meaning 'blackened,' from 'de-' (completely) and 'niger' (black). The literal sense of blackening something evolved into the figurative meaning of darkening someone's reputation through criticism.
Think 'DE-blacken'—to denigrate is to 'blacken' someone's reputation by speaking badly about them. It's like throwing mud at someone to make them look dirty and untrustworthy.
Denigrate (from Latin nigra, 'make black') carries racialized history; it has been weaponized against Black women specifically, compounding gender and racial dismissal. The term embeds a racial slur etymologically, though modern usage obscures this origin.
Use 'denigrate' sparingly; prefer 'demean,' 'disparage,' or 'dismiss' to avoid the racialized etymology. When analyzing how women—especially Black women—are denigrated, center the compounded gender-race dynamics.
["demean","disparage","dismiss","diminish","belittle"]
Black women's intellectual and activist contributions—from Ida B. Wells to contemporary scholars—have been systematically denigrated; recovery of these legacies is essential to counter erasure rooted in gendered racism.
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