貶おとしめる

お

と

し

め

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

貶める · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	貶おとしめる	貶おとしめない
Polite	貶おとしめます	貶おとしめません
Past polite	貶おとしめました	貶おとしめませんでした
Past	貶おとしめた	貶おとしめなかった
Te-form	貶おとしめて	貶おとしめないで
Desire	貶おとしめたい	貶おとしめたくない
Potential	貶おとしめられるalso 貶おとしめれる	貶おとしめられないalso 貶おとしめれない
Passive	貶おとしめられる	貶おとしめられない
Causative	貶おとしめさせる	貶おとしめさせない
Causative passive	貶おとしめさせられる	貶おとしめさせられない
Volitional	貶おとしめよう
Polite volitional	貶おとしめましょう
Imperative	貶おとしめろ	貶おとしめるな
Conditional	貶おとしめれば	貶おとしめなければ
Tara conditional	貶おとしめたら	貶おとしめなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, transitive verb

look down on; disparage; belittle

Expresses active contempt or scorn, often with intent to lower someone's reputation or worth. Stronger than 見下す.

彼かれはいつも他た人にんを貶おとしめるようなことばかり言いう。
He always says things that belittle others.
そんなふうに相あい手てを貶おとしめてはいけない。
You mustn't disparage your opponent like that.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

bring down; cause to decline; lower

Used for causing a decline in status, quality, or value. Less common than sense 1; often appears in literary or formal contexts.

その政せい策さくは国くにの威い信しんを貶おとしめる結けっ果かとなった。
That policy ended up lowering the nation's prestige.

See all 10 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の名めい誉よを貶おとしめるto disparage someone's honor
彼かれはライバルの名めい誉よを貶おとしめるような発はつ言げんをした。
He made remarks that disparaged his rival's honor.
〈人ひと〉の評ひょう判ばんを貶おとしめるto damage someone's reputation
彼かの女じょはSNSで同どう僚りょうの評ひょう判ばんを貶おとしめた。
She damaged her coworker's reputation on social media.
自じ分ぶんを貶おとしめるto belittle oneself
そんなに自じ分ぶんを貶おとしめなくてもいいよ。
You don't have to put yourself down so much.
〈物もの〉の価か値ちを貶おとしめるto lower the value of something
その行こう為いは作さく品ひんの価か値ちを貶おとしめる結けっ果かになった。
That act ended up lowering the value of the work.

Kanji

貶degrade, disparage, belittle

Related words

見み下くだすN1sense 1
見下す means to look down on someone from a position of assumed superiority, while 貶める implies actively trying to damage that person's reputation or worth.
蔑さげすむN1sense 1
蔑む describes the feeling of contempt or scorn toward someone, whereas 貶める focuses on the act of lowering their status or reputation.
中ちゅう傷しょうN1sense 1
中傷する specifically means to slander or spread damaging rumors, while 貶める covers any act—verbal or otherwise—that lowers someone's worth or standing.
落おとすN4sense 2
落とす is the general verb for dropping or lowering something, physically or abstractly, while 貶める is specifically about damaging someone's status, value, or reputation with moral disapproval.
汚よごすN3
貶める means to deliberately demean or belittle someone's reputation, while 汚す (けがす) refers more broadly to sullying honor or purity, often through one's own conduct.

Opposites

敬うやまうN2sense 1
敬う means to respect and honor someone, the opposite of 貶める, which means to disparage and lower their worth.

Don't confuse with

陥おとしいれる
陥れる means to trap or ensnare someone into a bad situation, while 貶める means to disparage or lower someone's reputation through words or judgment, not physical entrapment.
卑いやしめる sense 1
卑しめる is an older, more literary word meaning to despise or treat as base, while 貶める is the more common modern verb for actively lowering someone's status or worth.
けなすN2
貶める shares the kanji 貶 with 貶す but means to lower someone's status or reputation, whereas 貶す simply means to criticize or speak badly of something verbally.

Written forms

貶おとしめるUsage60%
Standard kanji spelling; the character 貶 is not in the Jōyō kanji list but is the established form for this verb.
おとしめるUsage40%
Kana spelling is common when the kanji is considered difficult or obscure.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 落とす (おとす, 'to drop') with the old auxiliary む, indicating causation or making something become a certain state. The kanji 貶 specifically means 'to disparage' or 'to lower in rank'.