1837 Proc. & Deb. Convent. Commonw. Pennsylvania III. 493 He thought the fixing of so short a term was too great a belittling of the officer, while nothing of advantage was gained by the people.

1897 K. Pearson Chances of Death I. v. 144 The belittling of science cannot but bring grist to his mill.

1939 Times 22 June 21/3 Any belittling of another, whether in word or deed, was abhorrent to her.

1974 W. Levi Internat. Polit. v. 129 The derogation and belittling of foreigners and other states is not only permitted but may be meritorious.

2009 E. Dunievitz Soul Malaise 14 The racist belittlings of her aunt and uncle still hurt.

1793 J. Morse Amer. Univ. Geogr. (new ed.) I. 209 This belittling tendency.

1859 Hills of Shatemuc 175 I never heard such a belittling character of the profession.

1884 A. M. Fairbairn in Contemp. Rev. Mar. 377 The belittling burden of an exhausted yet authoritative past.

1922 F. S. Fitzgerald Beautiful & Damned i. ii. 70 For me, her eyes said, this is practically a slumming expedition, to be cloaked with belittling laughter and semi-apologetics.

1987 B. Duffy World as I found It (1990) 122 If Wittgenstein as a boy had merely disliked Rudi, he had thoroughly despised Hans, who was forever tormenting him with his cruel, belittling remarks.

2008 B. Wall Working Relationships ii. v. 71 Paul never asks you to do anything. It is always a command... It is so belittling.

1879 Methodist Q. Rev. Jan. 19 Mr. Isaac Taylor..says..‘Wesley was thus almost intuitively master of arts,’ though he must belittlingly add, ‘or of all but the highest’.

1901 Pop. Sci. Monthly Aug. 340 He even carried his ill feeling so far as to write belittlingly of the conclusions of his illustrious rival.

1940 R. M. Neal News Gathering & News Writing x. 132 Dick travels widely throughout the county during the early fall, reporting the fairs, sometimes described belittlingly as ‘cattle shows’.

2007 R. Hickey Irish Eng. i. 8 ‘Kiltarnese’, as her [sc. Lady Gregory's] form of western rural Irish English was somewhat belittlingly called.