humiliating

adjective hu·mil·i·at·ing \ hyü-ˈmi-lē-ˌā-tiŋ , yü- \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Definition of humiliating

: extremely destructive to one's self-respect or dignity : humbling

—

humiliatingly

adverb

Recent Examples of humiliating from the Web

Lawyers of the former medical student have launched a cease and desist case against Ronaldo, claiming his actions were 'humiliating' and have 'profoundly affected her emotional state'.

— SI.com, "Reports Claim Miss Bumbum Winner Is Launching 'Cease & Desist Case' Against Cristiano Ronaldo," 19 Mar. 2018
The other mission is trying to change, one conversation at a time, a deeply rooted culture in which an Afghan visiting a government office can often expect humiliating treatment.

— mujib mashal, New York Times, "Cutting Into Afghan Patronage: A Struggle to Make Government Younger," 9 Jan. 2018
The Russian demands, proffered in a meeting in a southern Syrian town Saturday, had prompted a walkout by the rebels, who said the terms amounted to a humiliating surrender.

— louisa loveluck, The Seattle Times, "Syrian rebels in surrender talks for southwest as civilians flee toward closed borders," 3 July 2018
Argentina entered Tuesday’s Group D matchup with Nigeria staring down the prospect of a humiliating first-round elimination.

— andrew joseph, For The Win, "Diego Maradona is stealing the show during Argentina's do-or-die World Cup match," 26 June 2018
Its presidential candidate, Benoît Hamon, came in a humiliating fifth place with just 6% of the vote.

— The Economist, "The incredible disappearing French Socialist Party," 21 June 2018
The party that ruled Malaysia for more than 60 years until a humiliating election defeat linked to the 1MDB scandal selected a new leader to replace former Prime Minister Najib Razak and to rebuild support among the ethnic Malay Muslim majority.

— yantoultra ngui, WSJ, "Malaysia’s Former Ruling Party Veers Right on Religion and Race," 1 July 2018
If Charles had been on the pitch then perhaps Pelé’s great career may not have started with a World Cup triumph at all, but with a humiliating defeat to the rank outsiders from Wales.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 2 Days to Go - What if the John Charles Was Fully Fit for the 1958 World Cup?," 12 June 2018
Detroit Lions tight end Michael Roberts ended his rookie season last year in humiliating fashion.

— orion sang, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Lions Michael Roberts top goal for 2nd season: Dependability," 11 June 2018

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