Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To lessen the price or value of.
  • intransitive verb To write off an expenditure for (a tangible asset) by prorating over a certain period, usually the estimated useful life of the asset.
  • intransitive verb To think or speak of as being of little worth; belittle. synonym: disparage.
  • intransitive verb To diminish in price or value.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To lessen the value of; bring down in value or rate: as, to depreciate goods or prices; to depreciate railroad stocks.
  • To undervalue or underrate; represent as of little value or merit, or of less than is commonly supposed; belittle.
  • Synonyms To lower.
  • Disparage, Detract from, etc. (see decry); to traduce, underrate, slur.
  • To fall in value; become of less worth: as, a paper currency will depreciate unless it is convertible into specie; real estate is depreciating.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of; to represent as of little value or claim to esteem; to undervalue.
  • intransitive verb To fall in value; to become of less worth; to sink in estimation.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb intransitive To reduce in value over time.
  • verb transitive To belittle

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb belittle
  • verb lower the value of something
  • verb lose in value

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Medieval Latin dēpreciāre, dēpreciāt-, alteration of Latin dēpretiāre : dē-, de- + pretium, price; see per- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin depretiare, depreciare, to depreciate, from de- + pretium, price

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Examples

Comments

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  • I'd like to take a moment to depreciate trying to manipulate chopsticks and move a mouse consecutively with one hand. This really isn't going so well.

    September 11, 2008

  • Ha Ha Ha!!! I like it. Did you ever see such a thing in your life ....

    September 11, 2008

  • How else is one supposed to browse Wordie and eat sushi!? :(

    September 11, 2008

  • My personal suggestion is to clean your keyboard and use your chopsticks for both.

    September 11, 2008

  • You don't have two hands?

    September 11, 2008