discredit
/dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt/verb, noun
discredit is spelled D-I-S-C-R-E-D-I-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.3 times per million words in written English, the 18,064th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, discredit means “To harm the good reputation of (a person)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in discredit?
| Letters | 9: D-I-S-C-R-E-D-I-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.3 times per million words; the 18,064th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| 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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is discredit?
Discredit appears 2.3 times per million words in written English, the 18,064th 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 discredit?
- US /dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt/
- Australia /dɪsˈkɹed.ɪt/
Discredit has 3 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: En-us-discredit.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with discredit?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as discredit from its last stressed vowel (/ɛdɪt/):
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 discredit
- discredits present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- discrediting participle, present
- discredited participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does discredit mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To harm the good reputation of (a person).
The candidate tried to discredit his opponent.
- 2
To cause (an idea or piece of evidence) to seem false or unreliable.
The evidence would tend to discredit such a theory.
noun
- 1
Discrediting or disbelieving.
- 2
A person or thing that causes harm to a reputation, as of a person, family, or institution.
- 3
The state of being discredited or disbelieved.
Later accounts have brought the story into discredit.
- 4
A degree of dishonour or disesteem; ill repute; reproach.
It is the duty of every Christian to be concerned for the reputation or discredit his life may bring on his profession.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Discredit in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | discréditer , discrédit |
| German | in Misskredit bringen, diskreditieren , Misskredit |
| Portuguese | desacreditar , descrédito |
| Spanish | desacreditar, descreer , descrédito |
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 discredit come from?
From dis- + credit.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).