dehumanizing
adjective
de·hu·man·iz·ing
(ˌ)dē-ˈ(h)yü-mə-ˌnī-ziŋ 
: depriving someone of human qualities, personality, or dignity : demeaning or damaging to a person's humanity or individuality
a dehumanizing caricature/slur
dehumanizing statistics
Before even being allowed to call a lawyer, the arrestee is faced with the dehumanizing treatment of a strip search …—
John W. Whitehead
John W. WhiteheadThis kind of language is deliberately dehumanizing: the athlete is referred to not as a person but as a "brand", throughout.—Felix Salmon
Felix SalmonInmates at the South Carolina prison cited dehumanizing conditions such as a lack of sunlight, poor and insufficient food, and few rehabilitative programs as reasons they lost hope.—Aaron Cantú
Aaron CantúNot only are writers selling their products, they essentially become their products: author as commodity. It's a weirdly dehumanizing experience.—Rachel Donadio
Rachel Donadio… the dehumanizing nastiness of having your intimate personal photos hacked …—Joe Fay
Joe FayExamples of dehumanizing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maryland has the opportunity to offer a reprieve from suffering — a chance for these individuals to live the remainder of their days with dignity, surrounded by loved ones and free from the dehumanizing conditions of prison.
—Jasmine L. Tyler, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2025
The term Mace used is considered derogatory, defamatory and dehumanizing for transgender people according to GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy organization.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
The audience is taken backstage with these men, capturing their humanity in a way that challenges the dehumanizing portrayals of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals—and Black and brown men, more specifically—that are too often normalized in film and other mediums.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Invoking scammers’ derogatory terminology, though, is dehumanizing and further perpetuates the stigma that many scam victims feel about having been deceived.
—Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024
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Jasmine L. Tyler, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2025
The term Mace used is considered derogatory, defamatory and dehumanizing for transgender people according to GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy organization.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
The audience is taken backstage with these men, capturing their humanity in a way that challenges the dehumanizing portrayals of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals—and Black and brown men, more specifically—that are too often normalized in film and other mediums.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Invoking scammers’ derogatory terminology, though, is dehumanizing and further perpetuates the stigma that many scam victims feel about having been deceived.
—Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dehumanizing
Dictionary Entries Near dehumanizing
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dehumanizing. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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