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.

But set against Ferguson’s gushing praise for Epstein elsewhere in the emails, this can only be seen as deeply humiliating for the former duchess.

From BBC

"I felt like such an idiot and it was humiliating."

From BBC

They called the system "effectively paralysing and humiliating" given the number of people involved, and said it had generated widespread dissatisfaction among traders.

From BBC

"These broadcasts also aim at humiliating and destroying dissidents' credibility while reminding the public of the high cost of challenging the state," she added.

From Barron's

And yet this battle of improbables feels familiar—and, somehow, humiliating for the New York Jets.

From The Wall Street Journal

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