# humiliated

/hjuˈmɪɫiˌeɪtɪd/ (US) · /hjuːmˈɪlɪˌeɪtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/humiliated
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. feeling ashamed

adjective · CEFR B2

feeling very ashamed or embarrassed, especially because you were made to look foolish in front of others.

For teachers: experiencing a painful loss of pride, self-respect, or dignity; often involves a public or social dimension of shame.

- He felt humiliated when his boss shouted at him in front of the whole office.
- The athlete felt utterly humiliated after the disqualification, unable to face the spectators who had witnessed his public fall from grace.

## Examples

- He felt humiliated when he forgot his lines on stage.
- She was humiliated by the public criticism of her work during the staff meeting.
- The athlete stood humiliated in the center of the arena, realizing that his disqualification would be the only thing the spectators remembered from the tournament.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.