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
Some users praised it as a patriotic message about national sovereignty, while others condemned it as dehumanizing and inappropriate for a government agency.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Chappelle had previously faced backlash for making dehumanizing jokes about trans people, many of which regurgitate harmful stereotypes that frame trans women as predators, the kind of rhetoric that contributes to violence toward trans femmes of color.
—Quispe López, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Weekly Newsletter Audiences were asked to consider that the display of human difference was dehumanizing or even exploitative but also to understand that the sideshow represented a locus of community and a way for disabled performers to make an independent living.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Trump’s mercy extends not just to political supporters but to those who share his most dehumanizing instincts.
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
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Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Chappelle had previously faced backlash for making dehumanizing jokes about trans people, many of which regurgitate harmful stereotypes that frame trans women as predators, the kind of rhetoric that contributes to violence toward trans femmes of color.
—Quispe López, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Weekly Newsletter Audiences were asked to consider that the display of human difference was dehumanizing or even exploitative but also to understand that the sideshow represented a locus of community and a way for disabled performers to make an independent living.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Trump’s mercy extends not just to political supporters but to those who share his most dehumanizing instincts.
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 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 15 Dec. 2025.
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