Belittle: Thomas Jefferson First Used This Word

‘Belittle -- to make small, unimportant.'

"so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please."

"The Whigs may attempt to belittle our candidates ... that is a favorite game of theirs."

"Belittle has no chance of becoming English.  And as more critical writers of America, like those of Britain, feel no need of it, the sooner it is forgotten, the better."