pejorative
/pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv
/adjective
Expressing contempt or disapproval: permissiveness is used almost universally as a pejorative term...
- Politically active conservative Christians rarely use the term dominionism as a self-description; many feel it is a loaded or pejorative term.
- The individual may be classified as incomplete, immature, or by other pejorative terms which detract from his dignity.
- Any discussion about the high number of family breakdowns is seen as a threat to the family unit itself - unless it is couched in pejorative terms.
Synonyms
disparaging, derogatory, denigratory, deprecatory, defamatory, slanderous, libellous, abusive, insulting, slighting, vituperative, disapproving, contemptuous
informal bitchy
rare invective, contumelious
noun
A word expressing contempt or disapproval: race-linked pejoratives...
- I have used pejoratives such as ‘scientific whores’ to describe those responsible for the study because I am angry and I want people to know it.
- That last comment by Bud is not the true Bud because the true Bud deals with arguments in a professional manner and does not employ pejoratives to make his points.
- The selection of these pejoratives tells us a good deal, as does the near-universal acceptance by the mass media of the associated vernacular.
Derivatives
pejoratively
/ adverb ...- All employ the services of what we pejoratively call ‘spin doctors’, to try to ensure that their particular point of view gets a full airing in the media, hopefully to the exclusion of less favourable accounts.
- ‘Bias’ is usually used pejoratively; I would use it to mean reporting news in a way that is in fact slanted, while purporting to report it neutrally.
- She too does not address it, though she does refer pejoratively to ‘boilerplate’ form contracts.
Origin
Late 19th century: from French péjoratif, -ive, from late Latin pejorare 'make worse', from Latin pejor 'worse'.