Synonyms

humiliating

American

[hyoo-mil-ee-ey-ting, yoo-] / hyuˈmɪl iˌeɪ tɪŋ, yu- /

adjective

lowering the pride, self-respect, or dignity of a person; mortifying.

Such a humiliating defeat was good for his overblown ego.

Other Word Forms

humiliatingly adverb
self-humiliating adjective
unhumiliating adjective
unhumiliatingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of humiliating

First recorded in 1750–60; humiliat(e) + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On a Sydney pitch offering plenty of turn and frequent uneven bounce, the tourists could have folded to a final humiliating defeat, possibly by an innings.

From BBC

It says you can push without humiliating, be decisive without being brutal.

From The Wall Street Journal

England are already 3-0 down after three Tests against Australia, with the chance of regaining the urn gone and the risk of a humiliating clean sweep in the final two Tests.

From BBC

That is until Penn State suffered what may be its most humiliating defeat of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Turner branded the plan unworkable and urged ministers to scrap it or face a humiliating climbdown.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023