Synonyms

humiliating

American

[hyoo-mil-ee-ey-ting, yoo-] / hyuˈmɪl iˌeɪ tɪŋ, yu- /

adjective

lowering the pride, self-respect, or dignity of a person; mortifying.

Such a humiliating defeat was good for his overblown ego.

Other Word Forms

humiliatingly adverb
self-humiliating adjective
unhumiliating adjective
unhumiliatingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of humiliating

First recorded in 1750–60; humiliat(e) + -ing ²

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.

"It's not only humiliating and devastating and shattering – it also just crushes your soul," Jane said.

From BBC

After routing their bitter rivals 4-1 in November, they made the short trip up the Seven Sisters Road to inflict another humiliating defeat that pushed Tottenham deeper into the relegation mire.

From Barron's

The skater known as the "Quad God" had been favourite to win the men's individual title but tumbled to a humiliating eighth spot after the free skate.

From Barron's

"We find that the asking of those questions had the effect of violating the claimant's dignity and creating a degrading and humiliating environment."

From BBC

But the scheme has been criticised as placing a further burden on the public purse, and forcing applicants to go through a humiliating process to "prove" they are experiencing hardship.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023