A symbol of literal denigration den·i·grate ˈdenəˌɡrāt/ verb verb: denigrate; 3rd person present: denigrates; past tense: denigrated; past participle: denigrated; gerund or present participle: denigrating criticize unfairly; disparage. Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘blacken, make dark’): from Latin denigrat- ‘blackened,’ from the verb denigrare, from de- ‘away, completely’ + nigrare (from niger ‘black’). […]