TOEFL Vocabulary #12

treating someone as if you are more important or more intelligent than them:
I hate the way he's so condescending to his staff!
His condescending attitude offended his teammates.

condescending: /ˌkɑːn.dəˈsen.dɪŋ/(adj)

condescendingly (adv)

to damage the reputation of a person or group by saying or writing bad things about them that are not true:

Mr. Turnock claimed the editorial had defamed him.

defame: /dɪˈfeɪm/ (v)

defamation (n) - defamatory (adj)

to criticize something or someone strongly and publicly; to accuse someone publicly of being something

We must denounce injustice and oppression.
His former colleagues have denounced him as a spy.

to laugh at someone or something in a way that shows you think they are stupid or of no value:
He derided my singing as pathetic.
This building, once derided by critics, is now a major tourist attraction.

to criticize something as bad, without value, or unnecessary:

Lawyers decried the imprisonment of several journalists.
Mitchell decried the high rate of unemployment in the state.

to say that someone or something is not good or important:
You shouldn't denigrate people just because they have different beliefs from you.

to (cause something to) lose value, especially over time:
Our car depreciated (by) $1,500 in the first year we owned it.
In the last year, our house has depreciated in value.
Malawi’s currency was rapidly depreciating.

depreciate: /dɪˈpriː.ʃi.eɪt/ (v)

depreciation (n)

an angry speech or piece of writing that severely criticizes something or someone:
He launched into a long diatribe against the lack of action in Congress.

to cause people to stop respecting someone or believing in an idea or person:
Evidence of links with drug dealers has discredited the mayor.
The stupid behavior of one student has brought discredit to the whole school.

discredit: /dɪˈskred.ɪt/ (v)

discreditable (adj) - discreditably (adv)

to criticize someone or something in a way that shows you do not respect or value him, her, or it; belittle:
The actor's work for charity has recently been disparaged in the press as an attempt to get publicity.

disparage: /dɪˈsper.ɪdʒ/ (v)

disparagement (n)