demeaning
adjective
de·mean·ing
di-ˈmē-niŋ 
: damaging or lowering the character, status, or reputation of someone or something
The work was dirty and demeaning, though not quite as somber as it sounds.—
Gillian Beer
Gillian BeerHe changed one song title … to slip around radio's reluctance to play songs with demeaning words in them …—Neil Strauss
Neil Strauss[Sylvia Plath] is most helpfully linked, not to the demeaning disputes of her milieu, but to such powerful predecessors as Theodore Roethke, T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas, and above all Emily Dickinson.—Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates
demeaningly
adverb
When Lorna … takes control of the inmates' pharmacy, she decides that no one needs medication. It's her belief that those who are demeaningly labeled "crazy" are given medication in order to stifle their uniqueness …
—Sophie-Marie Prime
Sophie-Marie Prime
Examples of demeaning in a Sentence
demanded an apology for his demeaning comments
Recent Examples on the Web
Bruce was praised by fellow members of the White House press corps for asking important questions despite the president’s demeaning comments.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
In a post dripping with arrogance, Lynch dished out demeaning nicknames for her recent opponents.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
But parading around half-naked at competitions felt demeaning.
—Sean Williams, Outside, 27 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
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Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
In a post dripping with arrogance, Lynch dished out demeaning nicknames for her recent opponents.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
But parading around half-naked at competitions felt demeaning.
—Sean Williams, Outside, 27 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
Cite this Entry
“Demeaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demeaning. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
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