Synonyms of dehumanize

dehumanize

verb

(ˌ)dē-ˈ(h)yü-mə-ˌnīz 

as in to humiliate

to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being

being deprived of clothes dehumanized the prisoners

Synonyms & Similar Words

• humiliate
• brutalize
• poison
• subvert
• demean
• animalize
• bestialize
• degrade
• contaminate
• pollute
• corrupt
• prostitute
• debauch
• deprave
• abase
• humble
• pervert
• disgrace
• taint
• warp
• profane

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improve
• honor
• exalt
• amend
• restore
• dignify
• purify
• cleanse
• respect
• elevate
• ennoble
• uplift

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dehumanize

Telling this story from a child’s perspective is a way of trying to revive empathy for people who are often dehumanized by the way they are portrayed. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026

Everyone feels like they’re dehumanized by the process in a way that leads them to suspect there’s something monstrous about the whole endeavor. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 July 2026

My book was meant to highlight both the personal and societal issues of early literacy deprivation, while tracking the prescient issue of increasing screen time dumbing down and dehumanizing society. — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026

Nydia Cardenas, Democratic candidate for Precinct 4 County commissioner, said the Republican majority on the Commissioners Court dehumanize the people in the jail and decided that the deaths in the jail are not an issue. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026