pejorate
To become or make (something) worse; to deteriorate, to worsen.
You do not appear to me to recognize the gravity of your situation, or you would be more careful not to pejorate the same by words which glance upon the purity of justice.
Where it comes from
From Latin peiōrāt-, the participle stem of peiorō (“worsen”), from peior (“worse”).
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry pejorate (CC BY-SA 4.0).