Word
humiliate
Phoneticshu·mil·i·ate, stress on the second syllable
US/hjuˈmɪɫiˌeɪt/
UK/hjuːmˈɪlɪˌeɪt/
Definitions
01to shame someone
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make someone feel ashamed or stupid, often by pointing out their mistakes in public.
v. to injure the dignity and self-respect of another person, typically by public exposure of a perceived flaw or failure.
“He didn't mean to humiliate her by correcting her grammar in front of the whole class.”
“The manager's decision to reprimand the employee in the middle of the open-plan office served only to humiliate him and damage team morale.”
02to defeat easily
B2 · Upper Intermediate Sports Informal
v. to beat an opponent by a very large score so they feel embarrassed.
v. to defeat an opponent overwhelmingly or decisively in a competitive setting.
“The home team humiliated their rivals with a final score of seven to zero.”
“The defending champions were humiliated in the opening round, suffering a loss so total that analysts questioned their future viability.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It is often used in the passive voice ('to be humiliated').
Real-World Examples
“How we made Come Dine With Me: ‘Someone served sushi off a guy’s naked chest!’
‘We’re not there to humiliate or to sneer.” Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin humiliātus, perfect passive participle of humiliō (“to abase, humble”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Latin humilis (“lowly, humble”), from humus (“ground; earth, soil”); see humble.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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