as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
demanded an apology for his demeaning comments
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in degrading
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
it demeans the political process to demand that candidates make promises that everyone knows are unrealistic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliating
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
his statement was not meant to demean the group's hard work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in behaving
to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way
I shall endeavor to demean myself with utmost respect when our pastor comes to visit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demeaning
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 May 2026
Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
What once was aberrant—indeed, unimaginable—is now standard Trump fare, demeaning not only to the Presidency but to the rule of law.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demeaning
Adjective
The happiness ends when Kaisa gets an internship in Paris, but Ossi can’t join her because he is forced to attend an absurd and demeaning course for the long-time unemployed.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 May 2026
Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Great leaders demand excellence without demeaning their people.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
What once was aberrant—indeed, unimaginable—is now standard Trump fare, demeaning not only to the Presidency but to the rule of law.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demeaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demeaning
Adjective
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Considering there were only 33 appearances this past season, such Heat prudence hardly could be viewed as insulting.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2026
-
What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The bones also were coated with a light layer of minerals from the surrounding seawater, which may have prevented them from degrading.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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The country’s ministry of culture and sports set out a series of rules and regulations which included no pyro, no face paint and no shouting of words that could be degrading towards any person on the field, not even the referee.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
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New Yorkers will recall the assholic behavior of the Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, a swaggering builder of ships, who always seemed to delight in humiliating his managers and players.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
11 June 2026
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In her report, Soto accused Sibrian of allegedly mocking and humiliating her for her accent, immigration status and race and calling her stupid.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
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There are several steps between hearing about change and actually behaving differently, and organizations often move ahead long before employees do.—
David Michels,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
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Others depend on third-place permutations, favourable routes through the draw and several rounds of the favourites behaving like favourites.—
Amelie Claydon,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Adjective
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Nobody wants anything derogatory about them, so our first thought is — could any part of this be seen as making fun of this person or this song?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
22 June 2026
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The Obamas have faced racist and derogatory attacks for years, including from public officials and online memes.—
Jennifer Hassan,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
-
If the Knicks had that happen to them, everyone would be discrediting them.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The targeting led the Russians to use an alternative route, according to the Ukrainian military, with a large number of trucks carrying military supplies sent further west.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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So my whole upbringing was hiding and carrying this huge weight and secret.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demeaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demeaning. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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