as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
used the detractive epithet "McJob" to describe what his feckless son-in-law did for work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detractive
Adjective
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The state legislature just passed the most insulting budget and laws this state has ever seen.—
Michelle Jefferson,
Baltimore Sun,
4 June 2025 -
Despite the decision falling in line with White House policy, Rep. Nancy Pelosi – whose San Francisco district includes the Castro – said erasing Milk from the military is particularly insulting.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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The house’s inhabitants include a servant who is even more bitter and contemptuous than Miss Bohun; an old man who lives in the attic and only comes down for dinner; and a young widow who moves in a few weeks after Felix.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
18 May 2025
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This is a club that had failed to lift domestic silverware for 70 years and, for more than three-quarters of Neave’s life, had displayed an almost contemptuous attitude towards knockout competitions.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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But expert groups were more critical of the proposal.—
Katherine Dillinger,
CNN Money,
31 May 2025
-
His defenders included Laura Loomer, the far-right activist who has often been critical of other Trump nominees with histories of supporting Democrats.—
Jonathan Swan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
This is the threat potential given commonalities despite seemingly different developers, and those links to malicious domains.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Mandiant found ads for over 30 such malicious websites; most were posted on Facebook but a handful of them appeared on LinkedIn.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
The 2023 Economic Report Of The President published in March of 2023 was relatively disparaging of cryptoassets and DLTs.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes,
5 Dec. 2024
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Prior to appearing on Cunningham's show on Monday, Huggins made more disparaging remarks about Xavier.—
Emily DeLetter,
The Enquirer,
10 May 2023
Adjective
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Wise minds inside the Trump administration will hopefully choose to drop a suit first introduced during by a Biden administration reflexively disdainful of big.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Now, with Donald J. Trump installed in the White House, Mr. Zelensky is facing a new challenge: maintaining good relations with the country’s most critical ally and a president who has been disdainful toward him and skeptical of military aid.—
Andrew E. Kramer,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Ventura previously testified that Combs forced her to perform degrading acts.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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Image Threaded through every chapter is a running commentary on the malignant nature of pornography, which by design must grow ever more violent, degrading and humiliating to women to keep pace with the lightning-fast speed by which its tropes are absorbed into the mainstream.—
Maya Salam,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
All of the plaintiffs accused Robinson's wife, Frances Robinson, who is also named as a defendant, of perpetuating a hostile work environment by screaming at them and using ethnically pejorative language.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
8 May 2025
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But by and large, being ‘on the beach’ remains a pejorative label.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Detractive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detractive. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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