degrading
adj.adj. causing someone to feel very ashamed or lose their self-respect. You use this to describe a situation that makes a person feel like they are being treated as less than human.
adj. causing a loss of self-respect or dignity; humiliating. Often used to describe conditions, treatment, or language that devalues a person's humanity.
The prisoners were kept in degrading conditions.
Many employees felt that the new security measures were degrading and showed a complete lack of trust.
The report highlighted the degrading treatment of refugees at the border, arguing that such systemic humiliation violated basic international human rights standards.
Often follows a linking verb like 'feel' or 'be', or precedes nouns like 'treatment', 'conditions', or 'language'.
Last updated May 6, 2026