Henry James †1916
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There are two words spelled demean in English. One has a construction similar to its synonym, debase: where debase combines the prefix de- with an adjective base, meaning “low” or “vile,” demean applies de- to the adjective mean, meaning “inferior or contemptible.” The basic meaning the pair shares, “to lower in character or esteem,” is quite at odds with that of the other demean: “to conduct or behave oneself.” This demean comes from the Anglo-French verb demener (“to conduct”), and is generally used in formal contexts to specify a type of behavior, as in “he demeaned himself in a most unfriendly manner”; “she demeaned herself as befitting her station in life”; and “they knew not how to demean themselves in the king’s presence.” As such, it may be possible to demean someone for the way they demean themselves, though we assert that would be doubly mean.
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Examples of demean in a Sentence
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
Trump won’t do anything for you, other than denigrate and demean you.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 16 Oct. 2024
The job of a coach is to teach and support the team, not to demean them — though sometimes that does happen.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024
The racist trope claiming immigrants cook and serve household pets has been used to demean and ostracize migrants for more than a century.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Demean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demean. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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demean
1 of 2 verb
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