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

According to the latest British Social Attitudes survey, 81% of those who voted Reform last year believe that migrants have undermined rather than enriched the country's culture.

From BBC

The move follows a warning from the service's chief executive that its work was at risk of being "undermined" by "unhelpful politicians" who called for the legislation not to be enforced.

From BBC

Although no one died, the OIR Group found that widespread “vandalism and property damage, the losses to business and the divisive handling of protesters” ultimately undermined the “confidence in people’s basic security.”

From Los Angeles Times

The 25-year-old's performance helped cancel out the defensive mistakes which had undermined the Scottish Premiership side's display for an hour.

From BBC

He is the same officer Paetongtarn had complained about, and his bellicose nationalism has won him plenty of fans in Thailand but has also undermined the government's authority.

From BBC

Related Words

• flawed