Discredit

To harm or damage someone's reputation or credibility; to cause others to doubt or distrust.

verb

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Imagine This

The mean store clerk would not give a customer their credit back deliberately. They argued so loudly that everyone in the store was looking at them. He had lost his reputation.

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Sounds Like

dihs-KRED-it

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Looks Like

credit (visually similar; the base word 'credit' with a negating prefix 'dis-')

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Remember This

Discredit focuses on harming reputation or credibility; its noun form is discredit, referring to the loss of reputation itself.

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Other Forms

discreditedadjective

discreditingverb

discreditableadjective

discreditablyadverb

discreditsverb

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Connect With

credibility, reputation, trust, doubt, undermine, disparage

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Note

Discredit is often used with credibility or trust (e.g., discredit a witness, discredit rumors). Do not confuse with discreet (careful and prudent) or credit (belief or trust) in unrelated contexts.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The journalist sought to discredit the witness by highlighting inconsistencies in their testimony.
The company tried to discredit the rival's findings by pointing out methodological flaws.

Synonyms

undercutunderminedisparagesullydemean

Antonyms

credithonorvalidate

Etymology

From dis- + credit, where credit comes from Latin creditum 'a thing entrusted, belief' from credere 'to believe'; literally, to take away the belief or trust.

Mnemonic

DIS-CREDIT = not credit; remember that adding the prefix DIS- negates the base word. Picture someone ripping away another's credit or trust, making others doubt them.