demote
Americanverb (used with object)
-
demotes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
demoted,
past participle, past
-
demoting
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
demotesimple
-
demotessimple
-
have demotedperfect
-
has demotedperfect
-
am demotingprogressive
-
are demotingprogressive
-
is demotingprogressive
-
have been demotingperfect progressive
-
has been demotingperfect progressive
Past
-
demotedsimple
-
had demotedperfect
-
was demotingprogressive
-
were demotingprogressive
-
had been demotingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of demote
Explanation
To demote someone is to move them into a less important job. Your coffee shop boss might demote you to wiping tables if your attempts to froth milk and pull espresso shots continuously fail. When your employer demotes you, she assigns you an easier task or even an entirely new, lower-ranked position. You may even earn less money. In the military, to demote is to move a soldier down in rank, usually as a punishment. The opposite of demote is promote, which came first. The prefix de- gives the word a sense of "down" or "down from."
Vocabulary lists containing demote
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
They Both Die at the End
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from the Twelfth Republican Debate, March 10, 2016
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Kelly filed a lawsuit in January that accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of violating his First Amendment rights by moving to formally censure him and demote him over the video.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
According to Fidell, the secretary of defense has the authority to demote only flag officers—that is, generals and admirals.
From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026
Newby also could promote or demote judges on lower courts, deciding who served as their chiefs and held prestigious committee posts.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2025
Max Verstappen says it "was not a mistake" that he liked a comment on social media describing Red Bull's decision to demote Liam Lawson as "a panic move" and "close to bullying".
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2025
Anxiety, self-doubt, and bickering replaced that night’s buoyant optimism as Bolles scrutinized each of them anew, trying to figure out who to keep in the boat and who to demote.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
I think it's really telling that as soon as Ulbrich gets into the role, he demotes Hackett.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2024
Right after the ink on that resignation letter has dried, Deborah demotes Ava to second chair, telling her that Winnie is requiring her to hire the previous host’s head writer.
From Salon ● May 31, 2024
She — bold but perpetually insecure — becomes attracted to Sam, and the dynamics shift further as Sam regains control of his bar and demotes her to barmaid.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 6, 2022
Only Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the Exchequer, might be tempted to quit if Mr. Johnson demotes him in a reshuffle.
From New York Times ● Jun. 7, 2022
Facebook said it also demotes content from news publishers that users rate as untrusted in surveys and content posted by pages or accounts that repeatedly violate its rules.
From Reuters ● Sep. 23, 2021
The senior pilot assigned the Sunday shift was demoted to patrol duty by Nanos days earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Crowley, who was demoted to another position, filed a lawsuit against the city, saying the mayor engaged in a retaliation campaign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
The Frenchman was demoted to seventh place after the race by two five-second penalties for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
When workers in their 40s and older are laid off or demoted, or face cuts in their hours, they may suspect age is a factor.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
Yossarian was a lead bombardier who had been demoted because he no longer gave a damn whether he missed or not.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
She claimed this included swapping her successful client account with a failing one, demoting her on a big internal project, and trying to downgrade her performance, the tribunal heard.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
The commission said Thursday that it is concerned that Google might be demoting news media and other publishers’ websites and content in search results when they include content from third-party commercial partners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
The European Commission said Google is demoting media publishers' websites and content in search results when they include content from commercial partners, such as sponsored editorial pieces.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025
The mayor said she was demoting Crowley for failing to inform her about the dangerous conditions or to activate hundreds of firefighters ahead of the blaze.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
He regarded this as a slight, that I was in effect demoting him, and he refused, choosing instead to run for the presidency himself.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
