| 释义 |
denigrate, v.|ˈdɛnɪgreɪt|
[f. ppl. stem of L. dēnigrāre to blacken, f. de- I. 3 + nigrāre to blacken, f. niger, nigr-, black; cf. F. dénigrer (14th c. in Hatzf.). Apparently disused in 18th c., and revived in 19th c.]
1. trans. To blacken, make black or dark. lit. Now rare.
1623Cockeram, Denigrate, to make blacke. 1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. vi. xii. 336 The fuliginous and denigrating humor. 1657Tomlinson Renou's Disp. 191 This Lotion will denigrate the hairs of hoary heads. 1726Ayliffe Parergon 231 Drunkenness..denigrates the Colour of the Body. 1849Card. Wiseman Ess. (1853) III. 603 How the north wind should always drive a down-draught, with its denigrating consequences, into the drawing-room. 1857J. Raine Mem. J. Hodgson I. 89 note, The..smoke of pits and manufactories, with..a..dash of denigrated fog from the river.
2. fig.
a. To blacken, sully, or stain (character or reputation); to blacken the reputation of (a person, etc.); to defame.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 93 To mynysshe, denygrate, or derke his good name or fame. 1656Trapp Comm. Mark i. 24 This he spake, not to honour Christ, but to denigrate him. 1665Boyle Occas. Refl. iii. v. (1845) 41 [They] do..so denigrate the Reputation of them that oppose them. 1871Morley Voltaire (1886) 352 Napoleon..paying writers for years to denigrate the memory of Voltaire, whose very name he abhorred. 1889Plumptre in Antiquary Apr. 146/2 The character he is at such pains to denigrate. 1952Daily Herald 17 Nov. 4/1 Elements in this country which have always sought to denigrate the work of the United Nations. 1971Sci. Amer. Sept. 237/2 They attempted to denigrate..our most crucial findings.
†b. To darken mentally, obscure. Obs. rare.
1583Stubbes Anat. Abus. (1877) 78 These..smells..do rather denigrate, darken, and obscure the spirit and sences.
Hence ˈdenigrated ppl. a., ˈdenigrating ppl. a., deniˈgratory a.
1646,1857[see 1]. 1955Times 9 May 3/4 A revival of Shakespeare's Richard III, certainly the play most denigratory to the King. 1967Coast to Coast 1965–6 179 Here Miss Silver-and-Green made an insulting shrug of great beauty, and an exquisite denigratory hand movement. 1969Daily Tel. 13 Nov. 8/3 This book..is provocative and controversial..and, intentionally or not, is denigratory. |