Be*lit"tle (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Belittled (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Belittling.] To make little or less in a moral sense; to speak of in a depreciatory or contemptuous way. T. Jefferson.

• to knowingly say that something is smaller or less important than it actually is
       My older bother used to belittle anything I did.