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
Both attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, when Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs suffered a humiliating defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-40. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 2 July 2026 Like other female inmates in Tennessee and beyond, Sellars experienced strip searches that are more humiliating than what men experience because of their menstrual cycles. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Verb
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 This shift in tone might put off viewers looking forward to another eight episodes of Val humiliating herself. — Judy Berman, Time, 17 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
  • This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
  • Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.
    — Emily Hoerner, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 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
  • No one should be subject to listening to the most degrading and profane words that now seem popular with some people.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • According to the company, the electronic attack variant is intended to provide non-kinetic effects on the battlefield by disrupting and degrading enemy sensors and reconnaissance networks.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 June 2026
Definition of degrading
Verb
  • Ukraine has carried out major drone strikes on Russia’s two largest cities, embarrassing the Kremlin with images of black plumes of smoke that circulated widely online, despite regulations restricting their publication.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • But in this case, the ejection was absolutely unnecessary and, frankly, embarrassing for Lentz.
    — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 30 June 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
  • Now people are using everything from workplace bans, apps and even old-fashioned public shaming to stop the casual surveillance.
    — Kaylah Jackson, NBC news, 8 July 2026
  • Last year, a judge threw out the accusations of body shaming following a motion from Lizzo’s team that argued that events like the nude show outings were protected free speech as part of the creative process.
    — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Definition of shaming
Adjective
  • There was once a time when a visible slip was considered a mortifying fashion faux pas.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 July 2026
  • Iran got the United States to sign a document that even Americans described as degrading, mortifying, a total capitulation.
    — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 18 June 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on humiliating

Nglish: Translation of humiliating for Spanish Speakers

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