SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
detraction
noun
A disparaging statement or action that diminishes someone's merit.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Disparagement of merit
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSlander implies false harmful claims; detraction can include unfairly minimizing real merit.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See detraction in use
The biography distinguished fair criticism from personal detraction.
The organizer's derision of one student's careful notes took the form of contemptuous imitation intended to make the rest of the room laugh at her. A subsequent message added detraction by dismissing her useful observations as the work of someone incapable of understanding anything technical.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license