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Synonyms

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.

Etymology

Origin of demeaning

First recorded in 1875–80; demean 1 + -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.

The speakers are often ill-prepared and sometimes glib, demeaning what they should be illuminating.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

"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 • Oct. 20, 2025

Bureaucrats have bristled at the term as misleading and demeaning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

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

From Salon • Oct. 7, 2025

Despite the demeaning response, Stanton and Anthony considered the speech a victory: Women had spoken before the legislature.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

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.