Abwertende

Abwertende is a German attributive form of the present participle of the verb abwerten, meaning to devalue, belittle or derogate. It is used as an adjective to describe language, remarks, or attitudes that express deprecation or contempt toward a person or thing. The root abwerten combines the prefix ab- (away, off) with wert, related to Wert (value), so abwerten literally means to devalue or belittle. The participle form abwertend serves as the base adjective, and when used before a noun it inflects like other adjectives.

Usage and meaning

Abwertende language, remarks, or behavior convey disdain, deprecation, or a lowering of someone’s or something’s standing. It is commonly employed in discussions of interpersonal communication, media critique, psychology, and social sciences to describe expressions that demean or undermine others. Common collocations include abwertende Bemerkungen, abwertende Sprache, abwertendes Verhalten, and abwertende Haltung.

Grammatical notes

As an attributive adjective, abwertende takes endings that depend on gender, number, and case: ein abwertender Kommentar (masculine, nominative singular), eine abwertende Bemerkung (feminine, nominative singular), ein abwertendes Verhalten (neuter, nominative singular), abwertende Bemerkungen (plural). In predicative position, the form is typically abwertend: Der Kommentar war abwertend. The adverbial or predicative sense of the verb form is abwertend, used after verbs like sein or bleiben, and the adverbial usage in clauses can appear as abwertend über jemanden sprechen.

See also

abwerten, Abwertung, abwertende Sprache, belittigung.