demeaning
adjective
de·mean·ing
di-ˈmē-niŋ 
: damaging or lowering the character, status, or reputation of someone or something
The work was dirty and demeaning, though not quite as somber as it sounds.—
Gillian Beer
Gillian BeerHe changed one song title … to slip around radio's reluctance to play songs with demeaning words in them …—Neil Strauss
Neil Strauss[Sylvia Plath] is most helpfully linked, not to the demeaning disputes of her milieu, but to such powerful predecessors as Theodore Roethke, T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas, and above all Emily Dickinson.—Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates
demeaningly
adverb
When Lorna … takes control of the inmates' pharmacy, she decides that no one needs medication. It's her belief that those who are demeaningly labeled "crazy" are given medication in order to stifle their uniqueness …
—Sophie-Marie Prime
Sophie-Marie Prime
Examples of demeaning in a Sentence
demanded an apology for his demeaning comments
Recent Examples on the Web
And the system was routinely demeaning and dismissive.
—Sarah Lustbader, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
While handcuffing and removing the belts and shoelaces of deportees is standard practice in this type of operation, both Oquendo and Barrientos feel they were treated in a demeaning way by US immigration officials, especially when boarding the military flight in the early hours of Sunday.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
How Sculptor Meta Warrick Challenged White Supremacy A 1907 exhibition on the founding of Jamestown featured the work of an artist determined to counter demeaning stereotypes.
—JSTOR Daily, 20 Feb. 2025
This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demeaning
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Sarah Lustbader, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
While handcuffing and removing the belts and shoelaces of deportees is standard practice in this type of operation, both Oquendo and Barrientos feel they were treated in a demeaning way by US immigration officials, especially when boarding the military flight in the early hours of Sunday.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
How Sculptor Meta Warrick Challenged White Supremacy A 1907 exhibition on the founding of Jamestown featured the work of an artist determined to counter demeaning stereotypes.
—JSTOR Daily, 20 Feb. 2025
This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demeaning
Cite this Entry
“Demeaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demeaning. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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