Denigrar is a verb in Spanish.
/deniˈɡɾaɾ/
Denigrar means to speak about someone or something in a derogatory manner, thereby harming their reputation or undermining their worth. The term is often used in both legal contexts, especially in relation to defamation, and in everyday conversation to denote actions that disparage or belittle a person or an idea. It is relatively common in both oral and written contexts, often found in discussions surrounding gossip, character attacks, or critiques.
El político fue acusado de denigrar a sus oponentes durante la campaña.
The politician was accused of denigrating his opponents during the campaign.
No es correcto denigrar el trabajo de los demás sin conocer todos los hechos.
It is not right to denigrate the work of others without knowing all the facts.
La revista fue llevada a juicio por denigrar la imagen del cantante.
The magazine was taken to court for denigrating the singer's image.
While denigrar is not as commonly found in idiomatic expressions, it can be part of phrases that involve reputation and character. Here are a few sentences that show its use:
No hay necesidad de denigrar a quien no piensa como tú.
There is no need to denigrate someone who doesn’t think like you.
Denigrar a alguien no te hace mejor persona.
Denigrating someone does not make you a better person.
Muchos tienden a denigrar a los que tienen éxito sin saber todo lo que han vivido.
Many tend to denigrate those who are successful without knowing everything they have lived through.
El chisme solo sirve para denigrar a otros y poco construye.
Gossip only serves to denigrate others and builds little.
The verb denigrar comes from the Latin word denigrare, where "de" means "to a lower state" and "nigrare" comes from "niger," meaning "black." Thus, the original sense was to make something appear "darker" or less favorable, essentially tarnishing its reputation.
Synonyms: - Desacreditar (to discredit) - Menospreciar (to underestimate) - Difamar (to defame)
Antonyms: - Elogiar (to praise) - Exaltar (to exalt) - Valorar (to value)
In summary, denigrar is a verb used to express the act of belittling or defaming someone or something, frequently appearing in both general and legal discourse within the Spanish language.