as in demeaning
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humiliating
Andy Clayton, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026
Under pressure from the officer on the phone, Sandra, her fiancé, and other employees at the establishment are ordered to put Becky through a series of increasingly exploitative and humiliating experiences — all in the name of upholding the law.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Judy Berman, Time, 17 Mar. 2026
Some, like Zdorovetskiy, have been accused of assaulting and humiliating their targets as viewers push for violence.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humiliating
Adjective
Since then, only one semifinal appearance for The Selecao, and that was the humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany on home soil in 2014.
—Andy Clayton, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026
Under pressure from the officer on the phone, Sandra, her fiancé, and other employees at the establishment are ordered to put Becky through a series of increasingly exploitative and humiliating experiences — all in the name of upholding the law.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Verb
This shift in tone might put off viewers looking forward to another eight episodes of Val humiliating herself.
—Judy Berman, Time, 17 Mar. 2026
Some, like Zdorovetskiy, have been accused of assaulting and humiliating their targets as viewers push for violence.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humiliating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humiliating
Adjective
-
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
-
Some of the women interviewed for the article claimed that Platner could be demeaning to women and, in at least one case, even physically threatening.—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
If the Knicks had that happen to them, everyone would be discrediting them.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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
Verb
-
Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Lutnick's voluntary closed-door interview comes amid a monthslong procession of powerful people summoned before the committee, many of whom have been subjected to embarrassing revelations in the more than 3 million pages of records known as the Epstein files.—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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
Verb
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Liberals, who unfortunately make up the vast majority of sports media, will celebrate athletes endorsing/hanging out with Democrat politicians, while shaming those like Dart that dare to be conservative and Trump supporters.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
-
Sometimes there can be a lot of shaming in religious settings.—
Louis Staples,
Glamour,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
The second, a 2-1 home defeat, was mortifying.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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And what could be more mortifying than getting lower ratings than your mother?—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The plotting becomes needlessly complicated at times, such as with Jack becoming a local hero after foiling a burglary, and later disgracing himself with a drunken tirade at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which leads to him being arrested and put on trial.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humiliating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humiliating. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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