Disparageable

/dɪˈspærɪdʒəbəl/ adjective

Definition

Able to be disparaged or criticized; capable of being spoken ill of or belittled.

Etymology

From disparage + -able (suffix meaning 'capable of'). Disparage comes from Old French desparagier, meaning 'to match unequally,' from des- (dis-) + parage (social rank). Originally it meant to make an unequal marriage.

Kelly Says

Words ending in -able make judgment calls portable—when we say something is 'disparageable,' we're saying it *deserves* criticism, which is interesting because it gives the criticism moral weight before it even happens!

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