Sentence:  I think the quirky thing is often not used in a positive way. It is, as we know, a belittling kind of word. A man might be called ground-breaking or genius or something. Quirky is a <WSD>diminutising</WSD> way to say that. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To make (someone or something) appear smaller ("often in a figurative sense").