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• v  cause to seem less serious; play down
• v  express a negative opinion of
• v  lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of
• s  made to seem smaller or less (especially in worth)

• On Thursday, the Air Force Association daily newsletter called Petraeus' remarks "beyond outrageous" and said they "belittled the contributions of the Air Force to the joint .
• Blagojevich then publicly belittled his father-in-law, saying "This is the kind of thing that I think, frankly, separates the men from the boys in leadership.
• As one woman puts it: "I don't feel belittled by giving $25.

• minimize
• belittle
• denigrate
• derogate
• disparage
• pick at
• diminish
• diminished
• small

• flatter

News & Articles

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• Ugly People Bullied At Work? Study Shows Unattractive Employees More Likely To Be Mistreated
  A new Michigan State University study has uncovered an ugly truth about the American workplace: looks do matter. Researchers found that employees who are considered unattractive are more likely to be belittled and bullied in the workplace . While plenty of research has found that attractive students tend to be more popular in school, the study is the first to link the level of attractiveness to ...
  June 21, 2013 - The Huffington Post
• UES Socialite To Peon: "You Are ALWAYS Going To Be From A Different Class"
  You may recall that 35-year-old interior designer Micky Hurley is being sued by his Chilean nanny , who claims she was forced into indentured servitude by him. Felicitas del Carmen Villanueva Garnica, 50, claims she was the virtual slave of Hurley and his socialite wife, berated, belittled, and ordered never to leave their house. Would it shock you to learn that another person is now claiming ...
  June 21, 2013 - Gothamist
• High School All Over Again: Unattractive Workers More Likely to be Bullied
  A recent study published in research journal Human Performance found that those who are deemed less attractive in the workplace are more likely to be bullied and belittled. It proves that working environments are not much different than high school cafeterias with the more attractive people making the less attractive people feel unhappy. "Frankly, it's an ugly finding," said the lead ...
  June 20, 2013 - Opposing Views

Quotes

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• Rudy Giuliani in CNN
  Giuliani said it doesn't matter to Bush "how he is demonized. It doesn't matter what the media does to ridicule him or misinterpret him or defeat him." "They ridiculed Winston Churchill. They belittled Ronald Reagan. But like President Bush,...
• Carly Fiorina in Arizona Republic
  Many people have demeaned and belittled her experience and, as women, we all know how frequently that happens. This is a well-qualified candidate for the vice presidency and well-qualified to be a heartbeat away from the president,Fiorina...
• Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in guardian.co.uk
  I do not accept the sayings of those who imagine that our nation has become belittled in the world because of its commitment to its principles,Khamenei said, adding "this path will continue until final victory".