Word
demean
Phoneticsde·mean, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈmin/
UK/dɪmˈiːn/
Definition
v. to make someone feel small or less respected, often by insulting them or treating them badly.
v. to lower in dignity or status; to cause to appear less worthy of respect.
Examples
“She never demeans others to feel powerful.”
“The coach demeans players who make mistakes instead of helping them improve.”
“By repeatedly demeaning his assistant in front of clients, the director undermined trust across the entire team.”
Examples
simple
“She never demeans others to feel powerful.”
contextual
“The coach demeans players who make mistakes instead of helping them improve.”
complex
“By repeatedly demeaning his assistant in front of clients, the director undermined trust across the entire team.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “demean” in context.
Verb
01. demean colleague
“He tried to demean colleagues to make himself look superior.”
verb + noun
02. demean office
“Critics argued his conduct would demean the office he held.”
verb + noun
03. demean oneself
“She refused to demean herself by answering his insults.”
verb + reflexive pronoun
04. demean opponent
“Rather than debate policy, he tried to demean his opponent.”
verb + noun
05. demean with mockery
“He demeaned his rival with mockery during the live debate.”
verb + prep + noun
06. demean women
“Sexist jokes that demean women have no place in the workplace.”
verb + noun
Adjective
07. constantly demean
“He constantly demeaned his wife, eroding her confidence.”
adv + verb
08. deliberately demean
“She felt her manager deliberately demeaned her in meetings.”
adv + verb
Noun
09. attempt to demean
“His attempt to demean the journalist backfired badly.”
noun + prep + verb
10. demean oneself by cheating
“He would never demean himself by cheating in the exam.”
11. demean the office he holds
“Voters felt his lies would demean the office he holds.”
12. demean women in public
“The comedian was criticised for demeaning women in public.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.
Real-World Examples
“Cicero, ever the rhetorician out to win the argument, was quite prepared to exploit his audience’s masculinist prejudices to demean an enemy.” “US president Donald Trump also reposted a critical comment saying the Nobel committee “shamed itself beyond repair and demeaned” the prize ( 16:06 ).” “Responding to news of the lawsuit, Trump called the outlets "Third Rate Clowns" and "Crooked and Corrupt Press" that "trivialise and demean" his achievements.” “Trump, reacting to news of the lawsuit, called the news organisations "Third Rate Clowns" and "Crooked and Corrupt Press" that "trivialise and demean" his achievements.” Etymology
(1595) From de- + mean (“lowly, base, common”), from Middle English mene, aphetic variation of imene (“mean, base, common”), from Old English ġemǣne (“mean, common”). Compare English bemean.
From Middle English demenen, demeinen, from Anglo-Norman demener, from Old French demener, from de- + mener (“to conduct, lead”), from Latin mināre, from minārī (“to threaten”).
Variant of demesne.
de- + mean
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/demean