pejorative

pejorative — depreciative, disparaging, 1882, from Fr. péjoratif (fem. péjorative), from L.L. pejoratus, pp. of pejorare make worse, from L. pejor worse, related to pessimus worst, pessum downward, to the ground. English had a verb pejorate to worsen from… …   Etymology dictionary

pejorative — [pi jôr′ə tiv, pijär′ə tiv; ] occas. [ pē′jə rāt΄iv, pej′ərāt΄iv] adj. [< L pejoratus, pp. of pejorare, to make worse < pejor, worse, orig., inclined downward < IE base * ped ,FOOT] 1. declining; making or becoming worse: applied to… …   English World dictionary

Pejorative — Pe*jor a*tive, a. [F. p[ e]joratif, fr. L. pejor, used as compar. of malus evil.] Implying or imputing evil; depreciatory; disparaging; unfavorable. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

pejorative — I adjective abusive, acrimonious, belittling, blackening, calumnious, castigatory, censorious, critical, cynical, damaging, decrying, defamatory, denigrating, denunciatory, depreciative, depreciatory, derisive, derogative, derogatory, detracting …   Law dictionary

pejorative — *derogatory, depreciatory, depreciative, disparaging, slighting Analogous words: contemptuous, despiteful, scornful, disdainful (see corresponding nouns under DESPISE vb): decrying, belittling, minimizing (see DECRY) Contrasted words: praising,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

pejorative — [adj] negative, belittling debasing, deprecatory, depreciatory, derisive, derogatory, detracting, detractive, detractory, disadvantageous, disparaging, irreverent, rude, slighting, uncomplimentary, unpleasant; concept 267 Ant. complimentary,… …   New thesaurus

pejorative — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ expressing contempt or disapproval. DERIVATIVES pejoratively adverb. ORIGIN French péjoratif, from Latin pejorare make worse …   English terms dictionary

Pejorative — Pejoratives[1] (or terms of abuse, derogatory terms), including name slurs,[2] are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others,… …   Wikipedia

péjorative — ● péjoratif, péjorative adjectif (bas latin pejorare, aggraver, du latin classique pejor, oris, pire) péjoratif nom masculin (bas latin pejorare, aggraver, du latin classique pejor, oris, pire) Se dit d un terme ou d un affixe qui tend à… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

pejorative — [[t]pəʤɒ̱rətɪv, AM ʤɔ͟ːr [/t]] ADJ GRADED A pejorative word or expression is one that expresses criticism of someone or something. [FORMAL] I agree I am ambitious, and I don t see that as a pejorative term... Isn t there a suggestion that poetess …   English dictionary

pejorative — pejoratively, adv. /pi jawr euh tiv, jor , pej euh ray , pee jeuh /, adj. 1. having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force: the pejorative affix ling in princeling. n. 2. a pejorative form or word, as poetaster. [1880 85; < L… …   Universalium