Belittlingly

Belittlingly is an adverb that describes the manner in which someone speaks or acts, characterized by behavior designed to make another person or their achievements seem less important or significant. It involves minimizing, trivializing, or disparaging the value of someone or something. This can be achieved through condescending language, dismissive gestures, or a generally superior attitude. The purpose is often to undermine confidence, diminish self-esteem, or exert dominance in a social interaction. The actions are usually passive-aggressive, or even subtly, manipulative, and intended to make someone feel inadequate or insignificant without explicitly attacking them.

Belittlingly meaning with examples

• Sarah, known for her quick wit, often responded to her colleague's ideas belittlingly, rolling her eyes and muttering dismissive comments under her breath. This behaviour caused her colleague to stop sharing ideas, and the office environment became stifled.
• During the presentation, the CEO reviewed the team's achievements belittlingly, focusing on minor setbacks while downplaying the major successes. His actions demoralized the team and led to a lack of productivity in the months following this ordeal.
• John consistently offered helpful suggestions for improvement, but his supervisor always responded belittlingly, saying that his input was too simple, and that he was not thinking deeply. This made John's confidence falter, and he started performing badly.
• The professor, known for his intimidating presence, frequently graded his students' work belittlingly, pointing out every single flaw and making students feel like they were wasting his time. The students stopped asking him for help.