obtrectation means disparagement, the belittling of someone or something; slander. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why this word is great
OBTRECTATION — [Noun] The act of disparaging or belittling someone or something; slander. From Latin obtrectātiō ("disparagement"), from obtrectāre ("to disparage"), combining ob- ("against") and tractāre ("to handle, treat"). Unlike "criticism" (which may be neutral or even constructive) or "calumny" (which hinges on falsehood), obtrectation is the deliberate, often petty act of diminishing another—whether true or not. It is the muttered aside at a dinner party, the damning with faint praise in a performance review, or the relentless undercutting of a rival’s achievements with a shrug and a smirk. A quiet violence, practiced by those who lack the courage for open confrontation.
noun
- Disparagement, the belittling of someone or something; slander.“For as anger, fear, sorrow, obtrectation, emulation, etc. […] cause grievous diseases in the body, so bodily diseases affect the soul by consent.”