debasing

adjective

de·​bas·​ing di-ˈbā-siŋ How to pronounce debasing (audio)
dē-
: causing a lowering of someone or something in status, esteem, quality, or character
… a publication littered with debasing comments about women …Kate Kelly and David Enrich
And certainly African-Americans, who have long observed the debasing effect of racism on whites, may know a moral refinement that an oppressor cannot.Emily Hiestand
Feminists said the spiteful interactions that the shows sometimes encouraged were debasing to the contestants.Patrick Kingsley

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of debasing was in 1630

Dictionary Entries Near debasing

Cite this Entry

“Debasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debasing. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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