depreciate
UK /dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt/ · US /dəˈpriʃiˌeɪt/ verb
Forms depreciates depreciating depreciated depretiate
- verb (transitive) To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of.
- verb (intransitive) To decline in value over time.
- verb (transitive) To belittle or disparage. “They depreciated him because he was the youngest on the team.”
Synonyms
degrade devalue devaluate abase avile debase debauch dirty elevate vitiate badmouth cut down to size assassinate asperse backbite befoul belibel besmirch besmear bewray deprecate vilipend undervalue
Antonyms
appreciate upvalue aggrandize big up advance dignify elevate ennoble exalt honor nobilitate prefer
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English depreciaten, borrowed from Late Latin dēpretiātus / dēpreciātus, perfect passive participle of dēpretiō / dēpreciō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- + pretium (“price”) + -ō.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of; to represent as of little value or claim to esteem; to undervalue.
- verb To fall in value; to become of less worth; to sink in estimation; as, a paper currency will depreciate, unless it is convertible into specie.
Etymology [L. depretiatus, depreciatus, p. p. of depretiare, -ciare, to depreciate; de- + pretiare to prize, fr. pretium price. See Price.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “depreciate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details