as in dehumanizing
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
six months of solitary living in the jungle would animalize anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animalizing
Verb
-
In particular, when politicians use demonizing or dehumanizing rhetoric to attack their opponents— for example, using words that depict their opponents as subhuman— this fosters extremism and helps motivate extremists to hurt their opponents physically.—
James Piazza,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026 -
Social media posts and comments showed an increasing use of dehumanizing language toward Muslims.—
Anisah Bagasra,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kouri Richins, a Utah woman convicted of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, is set to be sentenced for murder on Wednesday.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
-
One of the charges against Richins is connected to that incident after prosecutors accused her of poisoning his sandwich in an attempt to kill him.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
In her report, Soto accused Sibrian of allegedly mocking and humiliating her for her accent, immigration status and race and calling her stupid.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
State caseworkers have sent an untold number of elders in their care to a coterie of homes with a history of hurting, ignoring or humiliating their residents, records and anguished families say.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Euthanasia decisions are already brutalizing for dog owners, and those decisions may become even more fraught.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
The charge comes as some advocates and community members have clamored for Illinois officials to pursue criminal cases against immigration agents who have been accused of brutalizing city and suburban residents during their 64-day Operation Midway Blitz in the fall.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Animalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animalizing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
