undermined

[uhn-der-mahynd, uhn-der-mahynd]

adjective

1. attacked, weakened, or defeated by underhand or seemingly harmless actions or by imperceptible stages.

   Both the struggling students and the most gifted ones are receiving limited support from an undermined educational system.

2. weakened or made to collapse by removing underlying support, as by eroding or digging away the foundation.

   With the release of material from the undermined cliffs at these sites, we should have had far more sand to feed the beaches, not less.

3. deliberately weakened by an excavation or tunnel dug underneath, as by an enemy in war.

   When the town was besieged, its defenders abandoned the undermined walls and retired into the citadel.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of undermine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of undermined¹

undermine ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Clasby’s attorney wrote in the lawsuit that this undermined her autonomy and made “her feel as if her boss felt her husband owned her and made decisions for her.”

From Los Angeles Times

The measure is aimed to protect European car makers from being undermined by what the EU believes are unfair Chinese-state subsidies.

From BBC

Now active and veteran female soldiers are concerned that Hegseth is building a military culture where women will be undermined and unable to advance, she said.

From BBC

He said the behaviour of these officers undermined policing by consent and made the job harder in the long run.

From BBC

The author suggests that making cruelty a mandate has generated more public resistance and undermined enforcement effectiveness.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• flawed