Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense demeans, present participle demeaning, past tense, past participle demeaned
1. verb
If you demeanyourself, you do something which makes people have less respect for you.
He plays a struggling immigrant who is forced to demean himself with a series ofbread line jobs. [VERB pronoun-reflexive]
2. verb
To demean someone or something means to make people have less respect for them.
Some groups say that pornography demeans women. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of demean
demean in British English1
(dɪˈmiːn)
verb
(transitive)
to lower (oneself) in dignity, status, or character; humble; debase
Word origin
C17: see de-, mean2; on the model of debase
demean in British English2
(dɪˈmiːn)
verb
(transitive) rare
to behave or conduct (oneself) in a specified way
Word origin
C13: from Old French demener, from de- + mener to lead, drive, from Latin mināre to drive (animals), from minārī to use threats
demean in American English1
(diˈmin; dɪˈmin)
verb transitive
to lower in status or character; degrade; humble
to demean oneself by taking a bribe
Word origin
de- + mean2, after debase
demean in American English2
(diˈmin; dɪˈmin)
verb transitive
to behave, conduct, or comport (oneself)
SIMILAR WORDS: beˈhave
Word origin
see demeanor
Examples of 'demean' in a sentence
demean
You are worth so much more than this demeaning way out of debt.
The Sun (2015)
Yet is there not something trivial and demeaning about insisting that the'real' meaning of ancient texts is the path to peace and common understanding?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
(verb)
Definition
to undermine the status or dignity of (someone or something)
All this talk of money just demeans us.
Synonyms
degrade
No-one should feel degraded at their place of work.
lower
Don't lower yourself. Don't be the way they are.
debase
I won't debase myself by answering that question.
humble
the little car company that humbled the industry giants
abase
He made his courtiers abase themselves before him.
phrasal verb
See demean yourself
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abase
He made his courtiers abase themselves before him.
Synonyms
humble,
reduce,
lower,
depress,
disgrace,
humiliate,
degrade,
downgrade,
demean,
denigrate,
demote,
belittle,
mortify,
debase,
dishonour,
cast down,
bring low,
put in your place
in the sense of debase
Definition
to lower in quality, character, or value
I won't debase myself by answering that question.
Synonyms
degrade,
reduce,
lower,
shame,
humble,
disgrace,
humiliate,
demean,
drag down,
dishonour,
cheapen,
abase
in the sense of humble
Definition
to cause to become humble
the little car company that humbled the industry giants