Definitions

humiliate

[hyoo-mil-ee-eyt, yoo-] / hyuˈmɪl iˌeɪt, yu- /

VERB

embarrass, put down

Synonyms

STRONGEST

confuse crush degrade demean depress disgrace humble shame snub subdue

STRONG

abase abash base blister break chagrin chasten confound conquer debase denigrate deny discomfit discountenance dishonor downplay lower mortify pan rip slam smear squash vanquish wither

WEAK

bemean bring down bring low cast down cut down to size make a fool of make ashamed play down put out of countenance put to shame run down shoot down take down take down a peg tear down

Antonyms

STRONGEST

build up encourage honor praise promote release respect upgrade

STRONG

agree allow boost cherish compliment elevate fail flatter laud lose surrender yield

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.

"They'd love to humiliate the Castros and get one of the original revolutionaries from 1959 behind bars. But the strategic value of that is questionable."

From BBC • May 21, 2026

As Rue muses in a voiceover, she’s beautiful, directionless and “so desperate for attention she’s willing to humiliate herself.”

From Salon • May 4, 2026

I have very mixed feelings about it, because I’m extremely grateful that I’ve made a living and haven’t had to humiliate myself too much in order to do it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

"By insisting on retraction China is trying to humiliate her and turning up the heat on the controversy," Kingston said.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

I hope desperately that this wasn’t arranged to humiliate me further, to give Cardan another excuse—or worse, opportunity—to punish me more.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Vocabulary lists containing humiliate

The Vocabulary.com Top 1000

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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney

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Words for the High School Graduate

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