Terms of disparagement are pejorative terms such as yid, kike, nigger, whore, slut, fag and queer whose use usually arouses painful feelings in the target, members of the targeted group or sympathizers. They may also signify derision for people of specific geographic areas, such as Mick, Kraut and Jafa.

Etiquette experts recommend that these insults should be avoided in polite society. Even used in impolite society they could cause friction, and even violence. Sociologists point to derisive language as an indicator of flawed reasoning about the character or motivation of others. Though insults are common, and often used in jest, a fundamental axiom of sociology recognizes that derogatory forms of speech make erroneous attributions about the character of a person. Scholars classify the erroneous assumptions as the fundamental attribution error.

Terms of disparagement may or may not be fighting words.

See also: List of ethnic slurs, List of sexual slurs