disparage

English

Etymology

From Middle English disparage (noun), disparagen (verb), from Old French desparage (noun), desparagier (verb), from des- (“dis-”) + parage (“equal rank, rank”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪsˈpæɹɪd͡ʒ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

disparage (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) Inequality in marriage; marriage with an inferior.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     But, for his meane degree might not aspire / To match so high, her friends with counsell sage / Dissuaded her from such a disparage […]

Translations

Verb

disparage (third-person singular simple present disparages, present participle disparaging, simple past and past participle disparaged)

1. (obsolete) To match unequally; to degrade or dishonor.
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, , →OCLC; Charles Cowden Clarke, editor, The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer. , 2nd edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), Edinburgh: James Nichol; London: James Nisbet & Co.; Dublin: W. Robertson, 1860, →OCLC:

     Alas! that any of my nation
     Should ever so foul disparaged be.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. To dishonor by a comparison with what is inferior; to lower in rank or estimation by actions or words; to speak slightingly of; to depreciate; to undervalue.
   • August 30, 1706, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, at the funeral of Mr. Tho. Bennet

     those forbidding appearances which sometimes disparage the actions of men sincerely pious

   • 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes:

     Thou durst not thus disparage glorious arms.

3. To ridicule, mock, discredit.
   • 1878, Mrs. Forrest-Grant, Riversdale Court: A Novel:

     Had he disparaged my personal appearance I should in all probability have laughed at him with lively indifference

Derived terms

• disparageable
• disparagement
• disparager
• disparaging

Translations

See also

• vilipend
• belittle
• denigrate
• excoriate

Further reading

• “disparage”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “disparage”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “disparage”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French desparage; equivalent to dis- +‎ parage.

Alternative forms

• dysperage, disperage, desparage

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /disˌpaˈraːd͡ʒ(ə)/, /disˈparad͡ʒ(ə)/, /dɛs-/

Noun

disparage (uncountable) (rare)

1. Inequality in marriage; marriage with an inferior.
2. Ignominy, shame; the state of lacking respect.

Descendants

• English: disparage

References

• “disparāǧe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-04-21.

Etymology 2

From Old French desparagier.

Verb

disparage

1. Alternative form of disparagen.