emasculate

verb emas·cu·late \ i-ˈma-skyə-ˌlāt \

|Updated on: 22 Jul 2018

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Examples: emasculate in a Sentence

Definition of emasculate

emasculated; emasculating

transitive verb

1 : to deprive of strength, vigor, or spirit : weaken

2 : to deprive of virility or procreative power : castrate

3 : to remove the androecium of (a flower) in the process of artificial cross-pollination

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emasculate

play \i-ˈma-skyə-lət\ adjective

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emasculation

play \i-ˌma-skyə-ˈlā-shən\ noun

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emasculator

play \i-ˈma-skyə-ˌlā-tər\ noun

See emasculate defined for English-language learners

See emasculate defined for kids

Examples of emasculate in a Sentence

He plays the role of a meek husband who has been emasculated by his domineering wife.
Critics charged that this change would emasculate the law.

Recent Examples of emasculate from the Web

Smith: The course is emasculated by its back-nine start of three consecutive par-3s, none of them notable.

— scott hanson, The Seattle Times, "Teeing off: The food’s great at historic Jefferson Park Golf Course, but there aren’t many memorable holes," 9 July 2018
Atlas’s horror line, emasculated by the code, became largely divided between Kirby’s stories, starring generic monsters with names like Groot and Fin Fang Foom, and Mr. Ditko’s agonized character studies.

— andy webster, New York Times, "Steve Ditko, Influential Comic-Book Artist Who Helped Create Spider-Man, Dies at 90," 7 July 2018
Elizabeth informed us — and then went to view the Egyptian Temple of Dendur to talk about how Jackie O brought it to the Met while LBJ felt emasculated.

— constance grady, Vox, "The Badass Bitches museum tour: for those who like their art with feminism and swearing," 2 July 2018
The book reaches its final crescendo when a Texas senator is emasculated by Martians and discovered by his intern, who starts to broadcast this inconvenient truth.

— yu-yun hsieh, New York Times, "Familiar Tales Remixed, at the Hands of a Postmodern Master," 27 Apr. 2018
The way @kathygriffin emasculated Kevin Hart is a big insult to blk men.

— nick vadala, Philly.com, "Kathy Griffin slams Kevin Hart over avoiding Trump material onstage," 15 June 2018
Neutral election monitors are muzzled; opposition candidates locked up; districts gerrymandered; constitutions altered; and, in extreme cases, legislatures emasculated.

— The Economist, "Lessons from the rise of strongmen in weak states," 14 June 2018
And by the way, your girlfriend must be very immature to deliberately emasculate you in front of her friends and family.

— abigail van buren, Houston Chronicle, "Hard work in gym pays off with arm-wrestling triumph," 20 May 2018
Immobilized and emasculated, the man was then forced to lie there, listening to the rape occurring a room away.

— CBS News, "Has "The Golden State Killer" been caught?," 28 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emasculate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of emasculate

Latin emasculatus, past participle of emasculare, from e- + masculus male — more at male

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1607

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

emasculate Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of emasculate

unnerve, enervate, unman, emasculate mean to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action. unnerve implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act.

- unnerved by the near collision

enervate suggests a gradual physical or moral weakening (as through luxury or indolence) until one is too feeble to make an effort.

- a nation's youth enervated by affluence and leisure

unman implies a loss of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit.

- a soldier unmanned by the terrors of battle

emasculate stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential.

- an amendment that emasculates existing safeguards

EMASCULATE Defined for English Language Learners

emasculate

verb

Definition of emasculate for English Language Learners

: to make (a man) feel less masculine : to deprive (a man) of his male strength, role, etc.
: to make (something) weaker or less effective

Medical Dictionary

emasculate

transitive verb emas·cu·late \ i-ˈmas-kyə-ˌlāt \

medical Definition of emasculate

emasculated; emasculating

: to deprive of virility or procreative power : castrate

—

emasculation

play \-ˌmas-kyə-ˈlā-shən\ noun

Law Dictionary

emasculate

transitive verb emas·cu·late \ i-ˈmas-kyə-ˌlāt \

legal Definition of emasculate

emasculated; emasculating

: to deprive (as a law or judicial opinion) of force or effectiveness

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emasculate

Definition of emasculate

emasculate

emasculation

emasculator

Examples of emasculate in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of emasculate

emasculate Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of emasculate

EMASCULATE Defined for English Language Learners

emasculate

Definition of emasculate for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

emasculate

medical Definition of emasculate

emasculation

Law Dictionary

emasculate

legal Definition of emasculate

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