pejorative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the street, now, is built on ideas of instant fame — “selling out,” once a pejorative, is now an ambition.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

What was once a pejorative term—“moonlighting”—morphed into a more-attractive “side hustle.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

"Mercenary" is a particularly pejorative word in Arabic.

From Barron's • Nov. 5, 2025

In Sarah Fritsche's blog the Cheese Professor, she explained the word "Welsh" was used as an insult in 1700s Britain, similar to how "welch" functioned as a pejorative.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025

I’d stopped using the word fascinated to describe the way he engaged with me and my life, because the pejorative iteration of the word no longer seemed fair.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi