The word **贬低 (biǎndī)** is a compound verb formed through the combination of two characters with closely related meanings: **贬 (biǎn)**, which originally meant "to demote" or "to reduce in value," and carries the sense of belittling or disparaging; and **低 (dī)**, which means "low" in terms of height, status, or estimation. When combined, they create a synergistic meaning where **贬** provides the action of lowering or criticizing, and **低** reinforces the resultant state of being low or inferior. Thus, the compound **贬低** means "to belittle," "to denigrate," or "to look down upon," effectively describing the act of deliberately lowering someone's worth or status in estimation. This structure is a classic example of a complementary compound (并列结构) in Chinese, where two synonyms or near-synonyms are paired to intensify and specify a single concept.