Meaning & use

humiliate

verb·Academic

To make someone feel ashamed or foolish, especially in front of other people.

See it in a sentence

The coach's harsh comments humiliated the young player in front of the whole team.

She refused to let the criticism humiliate her and finished the presentation with confidence.

A note on using this word

Humiliate implies a deeper loss of dignity than 'embarrass,' which can describe mild, temporary awkwardness.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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