What does "belittle" mean? If this question is asked orally, it is impossible to answer it. The fact is that in the Russian language there is a verb that sounds the same, but means something completely different. In addition, it is written differently. The meaning and synonyms of the word "belittle" are presented in the article.
Homophones
This term refers to words that sound the same, but have different meanings and spellings. An example of homophones is the verbs "belittle" and "beg." Here are some examples. This will determine the meaning of the word "belittle".
- She begged him not to do this, but he didn’t even want to hear anything.
- The contribution of this scientist to the development of modern science should not be belittled.
The first example uses a verb that comes from the noun "plea." After reading the second sentence, the meaning of the word “diminish” clarifies a bit.
Gang words
In order to understand the meaning of the word "belittle", a morphological analysis should be done. The root here is "small." Little, little, little by little, little by little - all these are related words to the verb "belittle". The meaning of the word by ear can also be determined. However, only if it is not used separately and is part of the statement.
Meaning of the word "belittle"
One of the synonyms is to underestimate. To belittle means to belittle, downplay the significance of something. Examples:
- The current generation tends to belittle the merits of their fathers.
- He did not know anything, which, however, did not diminish his guilt.
Examples from the literature
The verb "belittle" is a book word, that is, it is more often found in works of art.
In one of her books, George Sand said that the beauty of a woman harms a man, and her talent belittles his talent. Victor Hugo, arguing about married life, argued that marriage detracts from the mystery and attractiveness of the fair sex. Hemingway in one of his most famous works said: "The death of every person belittles me."