emasculate

American  

[ih-mas-kyuh-leyt, ih-mas-kyuh-lit, -leyt] / ɪˈmæs kyəˌleɪt, ɪˈmæs kyə lɪt, -ˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

emasculates, present (3rd person singular) emasculated, past participle, past emasculating present participle

1. 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

2. 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.

3. to remove the testicles of; castrate.

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adjective

1. deprived of or lacking strength or vigor; effeminate.

emasculate British  

verb

1. to remove the testicles of; castrate; geld

2. to deprive of vigour, effectiveness, etc

3. botany to remove the stamens from (a flower) to prevent self-pollination for the purposes of plant breeding

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adjective

1. castrated; gelded

2. deprived of strength, effectiveness, etc

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-emasculation
  noun
• emasculator
  noun
• unemasculatory
  adjective
• emasculatory
  adjective
• emasculative
  adjective
• unemasculative
  adjective
• emasculation
  noun
• unemasculated
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has emasculated
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have emasculated
  perfect
• has been emasculating
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am emasculating
  progressive 1st person singular
• emasculating
  participle
• emasculates
  singular 3rd person
• have been emasculating
  perfect progressive
• are emasculating
  progressive
• is emasculating
  progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had emasculated
  perfect
• had been emasculating
  perfect progressive
• were emasculating
  progressive plural
• emasculated
  participle
• emasculated
  simple
• was emasculating
  progressive singular

Future

• will emasculate
  simple
• will have emasculated
  perfect
• will be emasculating
  progressive
• will have been emasculating
  perfect progressive

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.

Related Words

• vitiate