pejorative

[pi-jawr-uh-tiv, -jor-, pej-uh-rey-, pee-juh-] /pɪˈdʒɔr ə tɪv, -ˈdʒɒr-, ˈpɛdʒ əˌreɪ-, ˈpi dʒə-/

adjective

having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force:

the pejorative affix -ling in princeling.

noun

a pejorative form or word, as poetaster.

Origin

1880-85; < Latin pējōrāt(us) (see pejoration) + -ive

Related forms

pejoratively, adverb

nonpejorative, adjective

nonpejoratively, adverb

unpejorative, adjective

unpejoratively, adverb

Synonyms

1. deprecatory.

Examples from the web for pejorative

This doesn't mean tourist pictures in the pejorative sense.
You invented the term "Googlization," which can sound pejorative—but it isn't.
And while he's been described by what has become a pejorative for quarterbacks - "game manager" - he's really done more than that.
That is why the somewhat pejorative term "fictitious" is attached to this force.
What is odd is how fairly quickly the concept of geek has moved from pejorative to almost complimentary.
Worse, the term tends to be pejorative and is certainly murky.
The word "pedant" is pejorative.
It is as if freedom had become a pejorative term, especially in the context of the global financial crisis.
You just heaped a pejorative laden deluge of it on the board in the quote above.
The economics rests on what we might call — without pejorative intent — a confidence trick.

British Dictionary definitions for pejorative

pejorative

/pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv; ˈpiːdʒər-/

adjective

(of words, expressions, etc) having an unpleasant or disparaging connotation

noun

a pejorative word, expression, etc

Derived Forms

pejoratively, adverb

Word Origin

C19: from French péjoratif, from Late Latin pējōrātus, past participle of pējōrāre to make worse, from Latin pēior worse

Word Origin and History for pejorative

adj.

"depreciative, disparaging," 1888, from French péjoratif, from Late Latin peiorat-, past participle stem of peiorare "make worse," from Latin peior "worse," related to pessimus "worst," pessum "downward, to the ground," from PIE *ped-yos-, comparative of root *ped- "to walk, stumble, impair" (see peccadillo). As a noun from 1882. English had a verb pejorate "to worsen" from 1640s.