dehumanizing
adjective
de·hu·man·iz·ing
(ˌ)dē-ˈ(h)yü-mə-ˌnī-ziŋ 
: depriving someone of human qualities, personality, or dignity : demeaning or damaging to a person's humanity or individuality
a dehumanizing caricature/slur
dehumanizing statistics
Before even being allowed to call a lawyer, the arrestee is faced with the dehumanizing treatment of a strip search …—
John W. Whitehead
John W. WhiteheadThis kind of language is deliberately dehumanizing: the athlete is referred to not as a person but as a "brand", throughout.—Felix Salmon
Felix SalmonInmates at the South Carolina prison cited dehumanizing conditions such as a lack of sunlight, poor and insufficient food, and few rehabilitative programs as reasons they lost hope.—Aaron Cantú
Aaron CantúNot only are writers selling their products, they essentially become their products: author as commodity. It's a weirdly dehumanizing experience.—Rachel Donadio
Rachel Donadio… the dehumanizing nastiness of having your intimate personal photos hacked …—Joe Fay
Joe FayExamples of dehumanizing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This whole experience has been so disappointing, and it’s been extremely dehumanizing.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
Here was another example of Kim’s funny-angry recasting of an inherently abstract and dehumanizing form.
—Mara Mills, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
By enacting this scene, students pushed back against racist and dehumanizing ideas that positioned Black people as mere property.
—Mickell Carter / Made By History, TIME, 19 Feb. 2025
Maryland has the opportunity to offer a reprieve from suffering — a chance for these individuals to live the remainder of their days with dignity, surrounded by loved ones and free from the dehumanizing conditions of prison.
—Jasmine L. Tyler, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dehumanizing
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James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
Here was another example of Kim’s funny-angry recasting of an inherently abstract and dehumanizing form.
—Mara Mills, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
By enacting this scene, students pushed back against racist and dehumanizing ideas that positioned Black people as mere property.
—Mickell Carter / Made By History, TIME, 19 Feb. 2025
Maryland has the opportunity to offer a reprieve from suffering — a chance for these individuals to live the remainder of their days with dignity, surrounded by loved ones and free from the dehumanizing conditions of prison.
—Jasmine L. Tyler, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dehumanizing
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dehumanizing. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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