derogatory
/dɪˈɹɑɡəˌtɔɹi/adjective, noun
derogatory is spelled D-E-R-O-G-A-T-O-R-Y. The wrong spelling people search most is derogitory: about 60 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 44 of all searches for the word. Derogatory is an adjective meaning “Disparaging”.
How many letters and syllables are in derogatory?
| Letters | 10: D-E-R-O-G-A-T-O-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.7 times per million words; the 21,209th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 1; the most searched, derogitory, about 60 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How do you spell derogatory?
Derogatory is spelled D-E-R-O-G-A-T-O-R-Y. One wrong spelling is searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 44 of the searches for derogatory in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is derogatory?
Derogatory appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,209th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce derogatory?
- UK /dɪˈɹɒɡətɹi/
- British /dɪˈɹɔɡətɹɪj/
- US /dɪˈɹɑɡəˌtɔɹi/
Derogatory has 5 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-derogatory.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with derogatory?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as derogatory from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɡətɔɹi/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of derogatory
- more derogatory comparative
- most derogatory superlative
- derogatories plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does derogatory mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Disparaging.
- 2
Tending to derogate
- 3
Reducing the power or value of (a governmental body, etc); detracting from.
- 4
Lessening the worth of (a person, etc); expressing derogation; insulting.
- 5
Being or pertaining to a derogatory clause.
noun
- 1
A tradeline on a credit report that indicates negative credit history.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Derogatory in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | péjoratif, dépréciatif |
| German | abwertend, pejorativ, abfällig, beleidigend , derogativ, derogatorisch |
| Portuguese | pejorativo, depreciativo, derrogatório |
| Spanish | despreciativo, denigrante, menospreciativo , derogatorio |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does derogatory come from?
Borrowed from Late Latin dērogātōrius, from Latin dērogō; corresponding to derogate + -ory.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).