detract: 來自拉丁語detractus，意為“貶低，誹謗”，源自動(dòng)詞detrahere，意為“拉下，拖下，貶低”，由de（向下）和trahere（拉）組成。

diminish: 來自拉丁語diminutus，意為“減少，縮小”，源自動(dòng)詞diminuere，意為“減少，縮小”，由di（變化）和minuere（減少）組成。

belittle: 來自英語be-和little，意為“使變小，輕視”，源自動(dòng)詞little，意為“小的，不重要的”。

disparage: 來自法語desparagier，意為“貶低，輕視”，源自前綴des-（否定）和parage（等級(jí)），由拉丁語par（相等）衍生。

從詞根的角度來看，detract和其他近義詞的區(qū)別在于它們強(qiáng)調(diào)的不同方面。detract強(qiáng)調(diào)的是一個(gè)向下或向后的動(dòng)作或效果；diminish強(qiáng)調(diào)的是一個(gè)變化或減少的動(dòng)作或效果；belittle強(qiáng)調(diào)的是一個(gè)使變小或輕視的動(dòng)作或效果；disparage強(qiáng)調(diào)的是一個(gè)否定或降低等級(jí)的動(dòng)作或效果。

Alice was a talented singer who dreamed of becoming a star. She had a beautiful voice and a charming personality, but she also had a jealous rival named Betty. Betty was always trying to detract from Alice's achievements by spreading rumors and lies about her. She wanted to diminish Alice's confidence and make her give up on her dream. Betty also liked to belittle Alice in front of others, mocking her appearance and style. She thought that by making Alice feel small, she could make herself look bigger. Betty even went as far as to disparage Alice's singing skills, saying that she was off-key and boring. She hoped that by insulting Alice's talent, she could discourage her from pursuing her passion.

Explanation:

Detract means to take away from the value or quality of something or someone.

Diminish means to make something or someone seem less important or valuable.

Belittle means to make someone feel unimportant or inferior by criticizing them harshly or contemptuously.

Disparage means to express a low opinion of someone or something, usually in an unfair or disrespectful way.