From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdiscreditdis‧cred‧it1 /dɪsˈkredɪt/ ●○○ verb [transitive] 1 SPOILto make people stop respecting or trusting someone or something The company’s lawyers tried to discredit her testimony.2 BELIEVEto make people stop believing in a particular idea His theories have now been discredited.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
discredit• In the United States eugenics became almost completely discredited.• Lawyers for the defense tried to discredit her testimony.• There were reports that his campaign team had been trying to dig up information that might discredit his rival.• It was very easy to discredit it.• For instance, she cited studies that had been extensively discredited methodologically as though they had not been.• Johnson became committed to discrediting the civil rights movement and asked Hoover to provide the ammunition.• It was widely agreed that the episode had damaged the public image of Congress and had discredited the confirmation process.• This gives rise to discretionary decisions by adjudicators and administrators, undermining generality and discrediting the ideal of the rule of law.• It was a blatant attempt to discredit the Prime Minister.discreditdiscredit2 noun [uncountable] SPOILthe loss of other people’s respect or trustto somebody’s discredit To his discredit, he knew about the problem but said nothing.bring discredit on/upon/to somebody/something The behaviour of fans has brought discredit on English football.Examples from the Corpus
discredit• Gingrich admitted to charges, brought by an investigative subcommittee of the ethics committee, that he brought discredit to the House.• But he was right about Mr Wright, whose venality did cast discredit on the House and who deserved to go.• Gwendolen can not long consider facts which do her discredit.• But his evidence does not read to his discredit nearly so much as to the discredit of the committee.• Harold Wilson appointed so many commissions that he brought the system into discredit.• This reflects no discredit on them.bring discredit on/upon/to somebody/something• Gingrich admitted to charges, brought by an investigative subcommittee of the ethics committee, that he brought discredit to the House. 