deprecator

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

dep•re•cate /ˈdɛprɪˌkeɪt/   v. [ ~ + obj], -cat•ed, -cat•ing. 

1. to express disapproval of; urge reasons against.
2. to speak of as having little value;
   belittle.

dep•re•ca•ting, adj. 
dep•re•ca•tion /ˌdɛprɪˈkeɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]
dep•re•ca•to•ry /ˈdɛprɪkəˌtɔri/  adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dep•re•cate  (dep′ri kāt′), v.t., -cat•ed, -cat•ing. 

1. to express earnest disapproval of.
2. to urge reasons against;
   protest against (a scheme, purpose, etc.).
3. to depreciate;
   belittle.
4. [Archaic.] to pray for deliverance from.

• Latin dēprecātus prayed against, warded off (past participle of dēprecārī), equivalent. to dē- de- + prec(ārī) to pray + -ātus -ate¹
• 1615–25

dep′re•cat′ing•ly, adv. 
dep′re•ca′tion, n. 
dep′re•ca′tor, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. condemn, denounce, disparage. See decry. 

Usage

An early and still the most current sense of deprecate is "to express disapproval of.'' In a sense development still occasionally criticized by a few, deprecate has come to be synonymous with the similar but etymologically unrelated word depreciate in the sense "belittle'':
The author modestly deprecated the importance of his work.
In compounds with self-, deprecate has almost totally replaced depreciate in modern usage:
Her self-deprecating account of her career both amused and charmed the audience.