Depreciate
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /dɪˈpɹiËʃɪeɪt/
Origin
Latin depretiare, depreciare, to depreciate, from de- + pretium, price
Full definition of depreciate
Verb
- (transitive) To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of; to represent as of little value or claim to esteem; to undervalue.
- unknown date Cudworth... which ... some over-severe philosophers may look upon fastidiously, or undervalue and depreciate.
- unknown date BurkeTo prove that the Americans ought not to be free, we are obliged to depreciate the value of freedom itself.
- (intransitive) To decline in value over time.
- (transitive) To belittle.
Usage notes
Do not confuse with deprecate, which means 'to disapprove of'. The meaning of deprecate has lately been encroaching on depreciate in the sense 'to belittle'.
Synonyms
- (reduce in value over time)
- (belittle) do down
Antonyms
- (reduce in value over time) appreciate
- (belittle) aggrandise/aggrandize, big up slang