humiliate
/hjʊˈmɪlɪeɪt
/verb [with object]
Make (someone) feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and pride: you’ll humiliate me in front of the whole school!...
- They stripped him of his dignity and tried humiliating him by showing him throughout the world.
- If I'm out in public with a woman who is doing her best to embarrass or humiliate me, I'll walk away.
- I've known my friend for a long time, but she humiliates me in front of my other friends.
Synonyms
embarrass, mortify, humble, show up, shame, make ashamed, put to shame;
disgrace, discomfit, chasten, subdue, abash, abase, debase, demean, degrade, deflate, crush, quash, squash, bring down, bring low, cause to feel small, cause to lose face, make someone eat humble pie, take down a peg or two
informal put down, cut down to size, settle someone's hash
North American informal make someone eat crow
US informal own
embarrassing, mortifying, humbling, ignominious, inglorious, shaming, shameful;
discreditable, undignified, discomfiting, chastening, debasing, demeaning, degrading, deflating, crushing, quashing, squashing, bringing down, bringing low
informal blush-making
rare humiliatory
Derivatives
humiliator
- But public humiliation has become taboo at work, indicting the humiliator more than the humiliated.
- It wanted to humiliate the humiliators and to be seen to be morally in charge.
- Mixed with distress and shame is intense rage at his humiliators.
Origin
Mid 16th century (earlier (late Middle English) as humiliation): from late Latin humiliat- 'made humble', from the verb humiliare, from humilis (see humble). The original meaning was 'bring low'; the current sense dates from the mid 18th century.