Vilipender

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To criticize someone or something in a scornful and derogatory manner, often undermining their importance or value
2. To express strong disrespect or disdain toward a person or thing, diminishing their perceived worth
3. To show profound disregard or contempt, thereby lowering the regard held for someone or something

Etymology: "Vilipender" is a Spanish-influenced English verb, borrowed from Spanish "vilipendiar", itself from Latin roots meaning "to hold cheap." Its English base is "vilipend," a verb meaning to treat as worthless, which was formed from Latin "vilis" ("cheap, worthless") and "pendere" ("to weigh, to value"). The word thus carries an image of weighing something and finding it of little value. The "-er" ending is the suffix that turns "vilipend" into "vilipender" in this form, so the word's sense of scornfully disparaging someone or something is built directly into its literal ancestry. Few English speakers would recognize the connection to "pendulum" or "pension," which share the same Latin verb "pendere," but the roots run deep: all of them come from the idea of hanging a weight on a scale.

Synonyms: demean, belittle

Antonyms: praise, compliment