demeaning

American  

[dih-mee-ning] / dɪˈmi nɪŋ /

adjective

1. that demeans; demean; debasing; degrading.

   Being forced to apologize when I had done nothing wrong was a demeaning task.

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Etymology

Origin of demeaning

First recorded in 1875–80; demean ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

“My Soul / Half Pint,” which features Dry Cleaning fan Jeff Tweedy of Wilco on clanging guitar, is about a woman who meticulously arranges her house but finds cleaning “demeaning.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Unlike other positions afforded to Colored people, where the pay was low and the work was demeaning, teachers were well respected by the community.

From Literature

"And I don't say that in any demeaning sense because for white southerners, it's not easy to rid ourselves of all the prejudices that we have born over the centuries."

From BBC

Bureaucrats have bristled at the term as misleading and demeaning.

From The Wall Street Journal

Losing your job might be demeaning, but losing your integrity for the shot at a job is dehumanizing.

From Salon

Related Words

• defamatory
• degrading
• disparaging
• sarcastic
• slanderous
• unflattering