Cause to seem less serious; play down:
— Don't belittle his influence.

synonyms: denigrate, derogate, minimize.

Roget 483: underrate, underestimate, undervalue, underreckon^†; depreciate; disparage etc. (detract) 934; not do justice to; misprize, disprize; ridicule etc. 856; slight etc. (despise) 930; neglect etc. 460; slur over.    make light of, make little of, make nothing of, make no account of; belittle; minimize, think nothing of; set no store by, set at naught; shake off as dewdrops from the lion's mane.    ... show more

Roget 934: detract, derogate, decry, deprecate, depreciate, disparage; run down, cry down; backcap [U.S.]; belittle; sneer at etc. (contempt) 930; criticize, pull to pieces, pick a hole in one's coat, asperse, cast aspersions, blow upon, bespatter, blacken, vilify, vilipend^†; avile^†; give a dog a bad name, brand, malign; muckrake; backbite, libel, lampoon, traduce, slander, defame, calumniate, bear false witness against; speak ill of behind one's back.    fling dirt etc. (disrespect) 929; anathematize etc. 932; dip the pen in gall, view in a bad light.    impugn (disparage the motives of); assail, attack etc. 716; oppose etc. 708; denounce, accuse etc. 938.    ... show more

Dutch: afwijken, denigreren, bagatelliseren, kleineren

Express a negative opinion of.

synonyms: disparage, pick at.

Dutch: geringschatten, belachelijk maken, onteren

Lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of:
— Don't belittle your colleagues.

synonym: diminish.

Dutch: afnemen