degrading

adjective

de·​grad·​ing di-ˈgrā-diŋ 

dē-

: causing or associated with a low, destitute, or demoralized state : causing someone to be or feel degraded

a degrading experience

… a work about a young man full of bottled rage looking for a degrading job …

—Penelope Gilliatt

… any cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of detainees was absolutely forbidden …

—David Cole

degradingly

di-ˈgrā-diŋ-lē 

dē-

adverb

"I hate to be poor, and we are degradingly poor, offensively poor, miserably poor, beastly poor."

—Charles Dickens

When employees are treated degradingly by their manager, they respond with decreased motivation, commitment, loyalty, and productivity.

—Ken Lloyd

Synonyms

• belittling
• contemptuous
• decrying
• demeaning
• denigrative
• denigratory
• deprecatory
• depreciative
• depreciatory
• derisory
• derogative
• derogatory
• detractive
• disdainful
• disparaging
• pejorative
• scornful
• slighting
• uncomplimentary

Examples of degrading in a Sentence

made degrading comments about his so-called friend behind his back

Recent Examples on the Web

The lead investigator in the Karen Read case whose degrading and inflammatory text messages about her came to light during the high-profile trial has been relieved of his duties, state officials announced. —Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 2 July 2024

Creatives can easily get worn out during a promotion process, especially one that feels antithetical — or downright degrading — to their work. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2024

The degrading effects of colonialism, though, are a preoccupation of hers. —Emma Alpern, Vulture, 7 May 2024

At the same time, the benefits from environmentally degrading activities—higher profits for producers and lower prices for consumers—are concentrated at the upper end of the economic spectrum. —James K. Boyce, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined above