emasculate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to deprive of strength; weaken.
The law was emasculated by its opponents, making it largely ineffective by the time it was passed.
- Synonyms:
- soften, devitalize, undermine, debilitate
-
to make (a man) feel less masculine.
Though some men might feel emasculated not making an income, I'm very happy as a stay-at-home father.
-
to remove the testicles of; castrate.
adjective
verb
-
to remove the testicles of; castrate; geld
-
to deprive of vigour, effectiveness, etc
-
botany to remove the stamens from (a flower) to prevent self-pollination for the purposes of plant breeding
adjective
-
castrated; gelded
-
deprived of strength, effectiveness, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of emasculate
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin ēmasculātus (past participle of ēmasculāre ), equivalent to ē- “from”+ māscul(us) “male” + -ātus adjective suffix; see origin at e- 1, male, -ate 1
Explanation
When you emasculate something or someone, you take away its strength. Some people believe that having a tough female boss can emasculate male employees. The Latin emasculatus literally means "to castrate," though it is usually used figuratively, the same way emasculate is sometimes used to suggest a man isn't very manly. You may have seen bullies hassle a guy, saying he can't beat up anyone, or hit a curveball, or. . .you get the idea. Such emasculating is also insulting to women because it suggests strength and female are opposites.
Vocabulary lists containing emasculate
Dry
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In the Country We Love
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"The Dixie Chicks"
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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.
I’m sick of the whole race of poets, Emasculate, misty, and fine; They brew their small-beer, and don’t know its Distinction from full-bodied wine.
From The Bon Gaultier Ballads by Doyle, Richard
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
