Putdown

A putdown is a disparaging or belittling remark or action intended to make someone feel foolish, inadequate, or humiliated. It often involves sarcasm, insults, or subtle jabs designed to undermine another person's confidence or status. Putdowns can be verbal or nonverbal and can range in severity from lighthearted teasing to malicious attacks. The intent is typically to assert dominance, gain a sense of superiority, or simply to make the other person feel bad. They often target insecurities and vulnerabilities, exploiting them to achieve the desired effect of diminishing the target's self-esteem.

Putdown meaning with examples

• During the team meeting, Mark made a putdown about Sarah's presentation, sarcastically commenting on her use of outdated data. The entire room fell silent as Sarah's face turned red. She felt embarrassed and self-conscious for the remainder of the meeting, and questioned her abilities.
• After John shared his ambitious project idea, Maria delivered a putdown, dismissing his plans as unrealistic and impractical. This dampened John's enthusiasm and discouraged him from pursuing his concept. Her putdown caused him to back down from sharing his thoughts.
• The comedian’s act was full of putdowns, primarily making fun of the audience's appearance and intelligence, and creating a very toxic and uncomfortable environment. Some people in the audience found the humor offensive and hurtful, causing some to leave.
• In response to her friend’s new hairstyle, Emily gave a subtle putdown, saying, “That’s… certainly a choice.” Her friend, hurt and understanding the comment as negative, felt self-conscious and regretted the change immediately.