DISCREDIT Synonyms: 213 Similar and Opposite Words

discredit 1 of 2

noun

Definition of discredit

as in disgrace

the state of having lost the esteem of others to his everlasting discredit, the coach was found to have placed bets against his own team

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

discredit

2 of 2

verb

(ˌ)dis-ˈkre-dət

as in to humiliate

to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes attempted to discredit her political opponents by deliberately spreading false rumors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deny

to think not to be true or real I discredit the story that the old inn is haunted

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to refute

to prove to be false the pseudoscience of phrenology has been thoroughly discredited

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of discredit

Noun

The federal government has embarked on a concerted, and largely successful, effort to undermine, discredit, and defund serious scientific research at any opportunity. — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026 Phillips also found sufficient evidence to determine that Weaver violated policy by making remarks to the officer and the Heritage Creek police chief that brought discredit upon him as a member of LMPD. — Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Nov. 2025

Verb

Green said earlier this year that Adebayo shouldn’t be underestimated and his 83-point game against Washington shouldn’t be discredited. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 Attorneys resumed their questioning Thursday with more on the time sheets, attempting to discredit Blankenship’s testimony from the day prior about time-keeping irregularities. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for discredit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discredit

Noun

The man who’d held the presidency before Gerald Ford had resigned in disgrace two years earlier.

— Lynn Schmidt, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Well, its’ interesting because for many years the Republican Party revered Reagan much more than Nixon, partly because Reagan was a successful president and Nixon, of course, ended his presidency in disgrace.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026

Definition of disgrace

Verb

Israel must leave humiliated and defeated — and that is exactly what will happen.

— Mark Osborne, CBS News, 26 June 2026
Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026

Definition of humiliate

Verb

Four fisher people from Indonesia’s Pari Island filed a legal complaint in 2023 against the Swiss construction company Holcim, which refutes their assertion that its climate change-causing emissions threaten their homes and livelihoods.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Wainger also refuted the assertion that Pennel had expected to be arrested.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026

Definition of refute

Noun

With wonder and with great shame the yodel is an orphaned sound, a sound that turns the serenade toward an addressee that is destined to never hear it.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Altitude is going to be a leveller, just a shame there are no West Bromwich Albion players in the England squad.

— Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of shame

Verb

The Chicago White Sox, a team many left for dead at the start of the year, embarrassed the Kansas City Royals Friday night, 22-1.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
But combined with Disney‘s embarrassing The Mandalorian and Grogu influencer stunt that backfired, a movie’s first reactions on social media are increasingly being met with equal amounts of fan skepticism.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2026

Definition of embarrass

Verb

Just be aware of your limits here, too, as an early withdrawal fee on an account of this size can be steep and, depending on the lender, can even easily negate all of the interest earned on the account up to the date of withdrawal.

— Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 June 2026
My favorite Panini story from this World Cup is that of a kid who apparently stuck a one-of-one Julián Álvarez in their book, thereby negating almost all of its value.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 30 June 2026

Definition of negate

Browse Nearby Words

discovery

discredit

discreditable

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“Discredit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discredit. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of discredit

noun

verb

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