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Discredit: meaning, definitions and examples

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discredit

 

[ dɪsˈkrɛdɪt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

in a professional setting

Harm the good reputation of someone or something.

Synonyms

belittle, dishonor, disparage, slander

Examples of usage

  • The article aimed to discredit his achievements in the field of science.
  • The false accusations were intended to discredit the politician's credibility.
Context #2 | Verb

in a personal context

Cause (an idea or piece of evidence) to seem false or unreliable.

Synonyms

debunk, invalidate, refute, undermine

Examples of usage

  • The forged documents were used to discredit the validity of the contract.
  • He tried to discredit her argument by pointing out inconsistencies in her reasoning.

Translations

Translations of the word "discredit" in other languages:

🇵🇹 desacreditar

🇮🇳 अपमानित करना

🇩🇪 diskreditieren

🇮🇩 mendiskreditkan

🇺🇦 дискредитувати

🇵🇱 dyskredytować

🇯🇵 信用を失わせる (shin'yō o usinawaseru)

🇫🇷 discréditer

🇪🇸 desacreditar

🇹🇷 itibarını sarsmak

🇰🇷 신용을 떨어뜨리다 (sinyongeul tteoreotteurida)

🇸🇦 تشويه السمعة

🇨🇿 diskreditovat

🇸🇰 diskreditovať

🇨🇳 使丧失信誉 (shǐ sàngshī xìnyù)

🇸🇮 diskreditirati

🇮🇸 afneita

🇰🇿 беделін түсіру

🇬🇪 დისკრედიტაცია (disk'redit'atsia)

🇦🇿 diskreditasiya etmək

🇲🇽 desacreditar

Etymology

The word 'discredit' originated from the Latin word 'discredere', which means 'to disbelieve'. It entered the English language in the late 16th century. Over time, 'discredit' has evolved to represent the act of damaging someone's reputation or casting doubt on the validity of something.

See also: accredit, credential, creditability, creditable, creditor, credits, creditworthy, discreditable, uncredited.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #12,686, this word is part of sophisticated English vocabulary. It's useful for academic or professional contexts where precise language is needed.