detract
/dɪˈtɹækt/ verb
Forms detracts detracting detracted
- verb (intransitive) To take away; to withdraw or remove.
- verb (transitive) To take credit or reputation from; to derogate; to defame or decry.
Synonyms
badmouth defame decry derogate assassinate asperse backbite befoul belibel besmirch besmear bewray blacken blame blaze blemish blot blur calumniate calumny take away
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French détracter, from Latin detractum, past participle of detraho.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To take away; to withdraw.
- verb To take credit or reputation from; to defame.
- verb To take away a part or something, especially from one's credit; to lessen reputation; to derogate; to defame; --often with from.
Etymology [L. detractus, p. p. of detrahere to detract; de + trahere to draw: cf. F. détracter. See Trace.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “detract”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details