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humiliating

[hyoo-mil-ee-ey-ting or, often, yoo-]
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adjective
  1. lowering the pride, self-respect, or dignity of a person; mortifying: Such a humiliating defeat was good for his overblown ego.
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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.
  1. to cause (a person) a painful loss of pride, self-respect, or dignity; mortify.
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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

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

Synonym study

See ashamed, humbled.

Antonyms

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

Examples from the Web for humiliating

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • This sentence was as humiliating and mortifying as anything that could be put upon him.

  • 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.

  • 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
  1. (tr) to lower or hurt the dignity or pride of
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Derived Formshumiliated, adjectivehumiliating, adjectivehumiliatingly, adverbhumiliation, nounhumiliative (hjuːˈmɪljətɪv), adjectivehumiliator, nounhumiliatory, adjective

Word Origin

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

v.

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

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper