humiliating 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of humiliatingnext
as in demeaning

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humiliating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of humiliate
as in discrediting
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes the reigning tennis champ was humiliated on the court by a newcomer who defeated him in straight sets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of humiliating
Adjective
But the 75-year-old has been starring in jaw-droppingly humiliating videos shared by his social media accounts. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 17 July 2026 Irina’s investigation results let her off the hook immediately, while Vika is forced into a humiliating apology. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Verb
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 These clips often use humor and pop‑culture aesthetics—even LEGO‑style animations—to show Iran’s late supreme leader outsmarting and humiliating his American adversaries. — Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for humiliating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humiliating
  1. demeaning
  2. discrediting
  3. degrading
  4. embarrassing
  5. humbling
  6. shaming
  7. mortifying
  8. disgracing
Adjective
  • No ask is too demeaning, no self-sabotaging client too difficult.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 29 July 2026
  • Some wives and girlfriends balk at the label, calling it demeaning shorthand that gives short shrift to a woman’s own worth.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
Definition of demeaning
Verb
  • Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Definition of discrediting
Adjective
  • The State Department had designated and sanctioned Ghezel Hesar Prison in 2024 for gross human rights violations and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
  • Even worse, researchers accused Fable 5 of selectively degrading responses related to advanced AI development, providing less useful information on subjects that could aid competing developers and independent researchers.
    — James Marks, Fortune, 23 July 2026
Definition of degrading
Verb
  • The operation has brought a fuel crisis that is embarrassing the Kremlin more than four years after Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Kyiv’s forces have targeted Russian oil facilities, causing fuel shortages and embarrassing President Vladimir Putin.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • Being on an island starving is very humbling.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Those listeners are the ones who are our backbone, which is very humbling.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
Definition of humbling
Verb
  • City officials insist this isn't about publicly shaming drivers.
    — Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The public-shaming impulse has been, at times, a reaction to years of bad behavior—particularly among men accustomed to getting away with a lot and facing very few repercussions.
    — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of shaming
Adjective
  • Harrop’s column is among a number of media clippings Fauci preserved in his diary, a surreally mortifying document released to the public last week by Senator Rand Paul.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026
  • With his speech, Oliver joins a growing trend of professionals whose AI use is revealed in mortifying ways.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026
Definition of mortifying
Verb
  • Social media users have critiqued her body both when with and without child and have accused her of disgracing the image of Black women.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
  • Why are adults so comfortable publicly disgracing Black teenage girls going to their prom and being cruel toward strangers who are sometimes half their age?
    — Essence, Essence, 11 May 2026
Definition of disgracing

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Cite this Entry

“Humiliating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humiliating. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on humiliating

Nglish: Translation of humiliating for Spanish Speakers

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