Meaning & use
emasculated
Last updated
“emasculated” is a form of “emasculate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Stripped of power, force or effectiveness, so that something is made weak.
Grammar: Can follow a verb or come before a noun: an emasculated law.
Patterns
- emasculated by something
The amended bill was an emasculated version of the original plan.
The committee was emasculated by budget cuts.
Critics said the report had been emasculated before publication.
adjectivecomparable
Feeling robbed of manly strength, status or confidence.
Grammar: Describes a person's feelings: he felt emasculated.
Patterns
- feel emasculated
He felt emasculated when his coworkers laughed at his idea.
Some men feel emasculated after losing a job.
The comment left him feeling emasculated in front of his friends.
adjectivebefore a nounmedicaltechnical
Of a male animal, having had the testicles removed; castrated.
Grammar: A medical or veterinary meaning.
The emasculated bull was easier to handle.
The vet explained how the animal was emasculated.
The emasculated horse grew calmer.
Word forms
| comparative | more emasculated |
|---|---|
| superlative | most emasculated |
Common combinations
- feel emasculated
- He felt emasculated after the criticism.
- emasculated version
- The film was an emasculated version of the book.
- emasculated by
- The agency was emasculated by new restrictions.
- politically emasculated
- The council became politically emasculated after the reforms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- weakened
- Weakened is general and neutral, while emasculated also suggests a loss of force or manly strength.
- neutered
- Neutered is more informal and often used of removing a reproductive ability.
- defanged
- Defanged means made harmless, like removing a snake's fangs, and is often figurative.
- toothless
- Toothless means lacking real power to enforce or harm.
Opposites
Word family
- emasculate verb
- to weaken or deprive of power
- emasculation noun
- the act of removing power or masculinity
- masculine adjective
- typical of men
- masculinity noun
- qualities associated with men
Commonly confused: emasculated or emaciated?
emasculated vs emaciated
Emaciated means extremely thin and weak from lack of food, and has nothing to do with power.
Practice
The watchdog group claimed the new law had been ___ by repeated amendments.
Choose one answer.
Emasculated here means stripped of effective force. Emaciated means thin and starved, and emancipated means set free.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “emasculated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.