humiliate
Americanverb (used with object)
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
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
I have very mixed feelings about it, because I’m extremely grateful that I’ve made a living and haven’t had to humiliate myself too much in order to do it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
"By insisting on retraction China is trying to humiliate her and turning up the heat on the controversy," Kingston said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
I hope desperately that this wasn’t arranged to humiliate me further, to give Cardan another excuse—or worse, opportunity—to punish me more.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Critics say Philips doesn't just challenge those beliefs - he humiliates the people who hold them.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
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
Dream wins and humiliates the Lord of Hell, after which she swears revenge.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2022
With every chance he has been given, Brown humiliates the sport that made him.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 21, 2019
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
In March 2024, Benfica had just been humiliated 5-0 by rivals Porto.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
I’ve oscillated wildly between thinking the U.S. will ride a host-nation bump to the semis and worrying they’ll be humiliated by Paraguay and soccer in this country will be canceled forever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
In the year that followed, the tech index shed 60% of its value, while humiliated defensive names staged a massive comeback, with utilities and consumer staples gaining 25% and 24%, respectively.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
Sturgeon said she was still waiting for Murrell to offer an explanation for his crimes - crimes that she said have led to her being unfairly vilified, humiliated and placed under suspicion.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
Mine was the humiliated consciousness, ashamed of its every face, its every nuance.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
Its decision arrived just hours after the Supreme Court’s sixth reversal of the 5th Circuit so far this term, with several more likely to come—a humiliating record for the appeals court.
From Slate ● Jun. 12, 2026
Several French pro-Palestinian activists on Friday described what they said was a violent and humiliating ordeal after they were detained by Israeli forces on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
The fine margins that may yet condemn Tottenham Hotspur to the most humiliating relegation in Premier League history could be measured in seconds at Stamford Bridge.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Early signs suggested that “Iceman” would constitute a return to Drake’s tough-talking ways in the wake of his humiliating defeat, and indeed that’s largely what the album delivers over plush yet hard-hitting beats.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
A humiliating sound emerged from Inej’s throat, a choked wheeze.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
