humiliate
Americanverb (used with object)
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humiliates,
present (3rd person singular)
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humiliated,
past participle, past
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humiliating
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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humiliationnoun
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humiliatornoun
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rehumiliateverb (used with object)
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humiliatedadjective
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humiliatingadjective
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humiliativeadjective
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humiliatoryadjective
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humiliatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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humiliatesimple
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humiliatessimple
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have humiliatedperfect
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has humiliatedperfect
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am humiliatingprogressive
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are humiliatingprogressive
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is humiliatingprogressive
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have been humiliatingperfect progressive
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has been humiliatingperfect progressive
Past
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humiliatedsimple
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had humiliatedperfect
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was humiliatingprogressive
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were humiliatingprogressive
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had been humiliatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of humiliate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin humiliātus (past participle of humiliāre “to humble”), equivalent to Latin humili(s) humble + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Humiliate means to make someone feel ashamed or stupid, often publicly. It would humiliate all but the most self-assured person to realize that everyone else in the room has noticed their fly is down. For many, the experience of high school seems designed to humiliate teens––under the microscope of public scrutiny that is the high school community, every break up, every bad-hair day, every forgotten homework assignment humiliates kids in ways adults rarely understand.
Vocabulary lists containing humiliate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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Words for the High School Graduate
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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.
See Examples For:
“The lesson of this relationship,” said Radchenko, “is that you don’t use your position as the senior partner to humiliate the junior partner.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"They'd love to humiliate the Castros and get one of the original revolutionaries from 1959 behind bars. But the strategic value of that is questionable."
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
As Rue muses in a voiceover, she’s beautiful, directionless and “so desperate for attention she’s willing to humiliate herself.”
From Salon ● May 4, 2026
He’ll stick around through the series, offering barbed commentary and something like support: “If I humiliate you, it’s to save you from the bigger humiliation of remaining as you are.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
They’d all seemed to have abruptly forgotten that I was still the same girl they’d tried to humiliate, over and over again.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
Critics say Philips doesn't just challenge those beliefs - he humiliates the people who hold them.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Earlier in the film, Patrick also publicly humiliates himself for Kat by singing Frankie Valli's song, "Can't Take My Eyes off You" in front of the whole school.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2024
The league says its operations manual strictly prohibits bullying and hazing, which is defined as behavior that “harms, intimidates, offends, degrades, threatens, or humiliates another person or creates a risk to their health or safety.”
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2023
“People already want to lean into believing something that humiliates or mocks or targets someone they dislike.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2023
But a cramp, he thought of it as a calambre, humiliates oneself especially when one is alone.
From "The Old Man and The Sea" by Ernest Hemingway
The world’s two most populous nations saw themselves as ancient civilizations humiliated by industrialized Western powers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Now older, these women appear stronger and more introspective while revisiting how they were manipulated and humiliated for America’s entertainment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
"I felt disheartened, I felt humiliated in so many ways," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
A man with osteoarthritis and learning difficulties has said he feels "humiliated" after being told he cannot take his new mobility scooter on Translink's train services because it has been deemed to be too big.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
At the commencement of the match, they were privately expecting to see Fischer humiliated on the board.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
"When I close my eyes I can still see it, the pity on other passengers' faces. It was humiliating for her."
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
However, the impact of even a botched attack on B-1 bombers would be humiliating for the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
They followed that up with a chastening 4-1 defeat away to world champions Spain but were still level on points with Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions before Saturday's humiliating loss in Rijeka.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
But after a humiliating, season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Australia — Donald did not make the trip — expectations were thrown for a loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Coach had given me my uniform the day before, after humiliating me at the sports store.
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
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.
