Big Word Wednesday: Pejorative

So we all know I like big words. I'm going to try to do a "Big Word Wednesday" in honor of that vocabulary. I used the word "pejorative" the other day at work:

Me: "Please don't say that, it's pejorative."

Steve: "It's what?"

Me: "Pejorative."

Steve: "Smaller word please."

Me: "Pejorative?"

Steve: "Smaller word please."

Me: "Haven't I used pejorative around you yet?"

Steve: "Smaller word please."

Adam: "What are you guys talking about?"

Me: "Pejorative."

Steve: "Seriously, smaller word."

Adam: "What?"

Me, with my face in my hands: "Pejorative is another word for deprecatory or a word that was once either neutral or positive that has since become derogatory like 'gay,' 'gypped,' 'retarded,' etc."

Adam: "That's awesome, I'm going to use that word today..." (and he did, and came back to tell me about it)

Steve: "Why couldn't you have just said derogatory?"

I could have just said derogatory. But it wasn't just derogatory, it was pejorative. So here, go forth with your new word for the day. Try to use it in a sentence!

pejorative: [pi-jawr-uh-tiv] adjective. having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force. (of words, expressions, etc) having an unpleasant or disparaging connotation.

• This doesn't mean tourist pictures in the pejorative sense.

• You invented the term "Googlization," which can sound pejorative—but it isn't.

• That is why the somewhat pejorative term "fictitious" is attached to this force.

• What is odd is how fairly quickly the concept of geek has moved from pejorative to almost complimentary.

Ciao,
kc