# belittle

> English word · Verb · IPA /bɪˈlɪt.əl/ · frequency rank #34,395

## Definitions
1. To knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation.
2. To make small.

## Etymology
From be- + little. Coined by Thomas Jefferson in 1782

## Easily confused with
- **brittle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/belittle-vs-brittle)

## Common misspellings (10)
`bbelittle`, `beilttle`, `belitle`, `belitlte`, `belittel`, `belittlle`, `bellittle`, `beltitle`, `bleittle`, `eblittle`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/belittle