demote
[ dih-moht ]
/ dɪˈmoʊt /
verb (used with object), de·mot·ed, de·mot·ing.
to reduce to a lower grade, rank, class, or position (opposed to promote): They demoted the careless waiter to busboy.
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Pluto gains a fourth moon, but what should it be named?Pluto may have been demoted to a dwarf planet in 2006, but that hasn’t stopped astronomers from studying this intriguing plutoid. NASA recently announced the discovery of a fourth moon, be it a “mini-moon,” circling the former planet. Dubbed “P4” for the time being, the hunt is on for an appropriate name. The practice of naming planets after gods and goddesses can be traced back …
RELATED WORDS
bump, dismiss, relegate, lower, reduce, bust, bench, break, demean, degrade, demerit, declass, disrate
Nearby words
- demoralize,
- demoralizing,
- demos,
- demoscene,
- demosthenes,
- demothball,
- demotic,
- demotion,
- demotivate,
- demount
Origin of demote
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for demote
Obama or Congress could demote or impeach Jaczko within the next year; either move would be highly unprecedented.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Greg Jaczko's Controversial Reign|Daniel Stone|December 14, 2011|DAILY BEASTBilly Kasker wandered off for a few moments and I had to demote him.
Be It Ever Thus|Robert Moore Williams
demote
/ (dɪˈməʊt) /
verb
(tr) to lower in rank or position; relegate
Word Origin for demote
C19: from de- + (pro) mote
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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demote
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper