humiliating

[hyoo-mil-ee-ey-ting or, often, yoo-]

See more synonyms for humiliating on Thesaurus.com

adjective

lowering the pride, self-respect, or dignity of a person; mortifying: Such a humiliating defeat was good for his overblown ego.

Origin of humiliating

First recorded in 1750–60; humiliate + -ing²

Related formshu·mil·i·at·ing·ly, adverbself-hu·mil·i·at·ing, adjectiveun·hu·mil·i·at·ing, adjectiveun·hu·mil·i·at·ing·ly, adverb

humiliate

[hyoo-mil-ee-eyt or, often, yoo-]

verb (used with object), hu·mil·i·at·ed, hu·mil·i·at·ing.

to cause (a person) a painful loss of pride, self-respect, or dignity; mortify.

Origin of humiliate

1525–35; < Late Latin humiliātus (past participle of humiliāre “to humble”), equivalent to Latin humili(s) humble + -ātus -ate¹

Related formshu·mil·i·a·tor, nounhu·mil·i·a·to·ry

[hyoo-mil-ee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee or, often, yoo-] /hyuˈmɪl i əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i or, often, yu-/, hu·mil·i·a·tive, adjectivere·hu·mil·i·ate, verb (used with object), re·hu·mil·i·at·ed, re·hu·mil·i·at·ing.un·hu·mil·i·at·ed, adjective

Synonyms for humiliate

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dishonor, disgrace, shame; degrade, abase, debase.

Synonym study

See ashamed, humbled.

Antonyms for humiliate

exalt, honor.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for humiliating

embarrassing, humbling, demeaning, opprobrious

Examples from the Web for humiliating

Contemporary Examples of humiliating

In a humiliating turn of events, the ruble has lost about half its value against the dollar so far this year.
Putin Can’t Bully or Bomb a Recession
Daniel Gross
December 16, 2014
But in Hebron you see what it means in its most humiliating manifestation.
Inside Hebron, Israel’s Heart of Darkness
Michael Tomasky
November 21, 2014
All of which, among other humiliating acts, are recounted in My Crazy Love.
‘My Crazy Love’ Reveals the Craziest Lies People Tell for Love
Kevin Fallon
November 18, 2014
Divorce ensued, along with a deluge of humiliating media coverage.
The Very Rich Should Divorce Very Quietly
Vicky Ward
November 6, 2014
Hearing that is a lot easier than hearing something else, but it is not less, well, humiliating and scary, I guess.
What It Feels Like For a Girl in Iraq
Noor
November 6, 2014

Historical Examples of humiliating

This sentence was as humiliating and mortifying as anything that could be put upon him.
The Boy Life of Napoleon
Eugenie Foa
This humiliating order was obeyed, and all hands of us were called aft.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
Will you never be convinced that, that; but why make this humiliating confession?
Vivian Grey
Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
Flight was humiliating and dreadful, but to remain in England was impracticable.
Beaux and Belles of England
Mary Robinson
I was fronted by a fact, humiliating or not—a fact which I could not deny.
The First Violin
Jessie Fothergill

British Dictionary definitions for humiliating

humiliate

verb

(tr) to lower or hurt the dignity or pride of

Derived Formshumiliated, adjectivehumiliating, adjectivehumiliatingly, adverbhumiliation, nounhumiliative (hjuːˈmɪljətɪv), adjectivehumiliator, nounhumiliatory, adjective

Word Origin for humiliate

C16: from Late Latin humiliāre, from Latin humilis humble

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for humiliating

humiliate

1530s, perhaps a back-formation from humiliation. Related: Humiliated; humiliating; humiliatingly.