emasculate

verb

emas·​cu·​late i-ˈma-skyə-ˌlāt 

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

emasculate

i-ˈma-skyə-lət 

adjective

emasculation

i-ˌma-skyə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

emasculator

i-ˈma-skyə-ˌlā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• demoralize
• paralyze
• undo
• unman
• unnerve
• unstring

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

Rules changes designed to limit injuries caused returns to be emasculated over the years, leading to an all-time high of 78.3 percent touchbacks last season. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024

There is no doubt that African countries have battled for decades, first to rid themselves of the legacy of colonialism and then to fight new battles against neo-colonialism in the guise of asymmetric economic warfare, exploitative extractive trade, and emasculating aid in return. —Ivor Ichikowitz, Fortune, 26 Jan. 2024

Coming to their home to emasculate her husband in front of her felt like the kind of thing that would happen in the Jim Crow era. —Danelle Morton, ProPublica, 18 Nov. 2023

Feeling emasculated by his wife’s taxing job as a doctor and his own unemployment, Styles’ character listens to a men’s rights podcast and falls under the influence of its host, played by Chris Pine. —Eliana Dockterman, Time, 21 July 2023

That's also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing. —Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 17 May 2023

Fox News is doing no such thing, instead making the case again and again that Trump is—like its hosts and viewers—a victim of a vast conspiracy intended to disempower and emasculate. —Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 4 Apr. 2023

The most laughable irony of this pushback against emasculating Black men is that it’s often framed as being in service of Black women. —Tayo Bero, refinery29.com, 28 Feb. 2023

Bills that evaluate lives without emasculating vital livelihoods. —Roy S. Johnson | [e-mail], al, 20 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

emasculate

verb

emas·​cu·​late i-ˈmas-kyə-ˌlāt 

emasculated; emasculating

1

: to deprive of masculine strength or spirit : weaken

2

: castrate

emasculation

-ˌmas-kyə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

emasculator

-ˈmas-kyə-ˌlāt-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

emasculate

transitive verb

emas·​cu·​late i-ˈmas-kyə-ˌlāt 

emasculated; emasculating

: to deprive of virility or procreative power : castrate

emasculation

-ˌmas-kyə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

Legal Definition

emasculate

transitive verb

emas·​cu·​late i-ˈmas-kyə-ˌlāt 

emasculated; emasculating

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