belittle

verb

1. (ambitransitive)To knowingly say that (someone or something) is smaller or less important than it actually is, especially as a way of showing contempt or deprecation.

   “Don't belittle your colleagues.”

   “An essential part of any German campaign is obviously the efficiency of its lines of communication and therefore it is dangerous to belittle our enemy's strength in this direction.”

   “Under the rules as understood by the New York Times, the West is free to mock and belittle its Judeo-Christian inheritance, and, likewise, the Muslim world is free to mock and belittle the West's Judeo-Christian inheritance.”

   “For many of us, the realization that people in power, regardless of political party, would belittle, name call and seek retribution has been a shock.”

2. (transitive)To make small.

   “Now, the big blue space of river and sky belittled him, ulled him back into bewildered childhood.”