as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
demanded an apology for his demeaning comments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in degrading
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
it demeans the political process to demand that candidates make promises that everyone knows are unrealistic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliating
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
his statement was not meant to demean the group's hard work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in behaving
to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way
I shall endeavor to demean myself with utmost respect when our pastor comes to visit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demeaning
Stephen Kearse, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The film playfully critiques certain Muslim customs, but never in a demeaning way, while providing a heartwarming coming-of-age narrative that’s a tad predictable.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Many of the jobs available to young and inexperienced workers are entry-level roles in the retail, restaurant and service industries, and these jobs are often talked about in a demeaning way.
—Brandon Busteed, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Residents suddenly realized that Trump’s demeaning rhetoric about Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants could extend to them.
—Julia Preston, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for demeaning
Adjective
Her mother, a day laborer who had to leave school at age 10 to work, cleaned houses under the demeaning conditions of the Jim Crow era: Butler sometimes accompanied her mom on the job, where they were required to enter homes through back doors.
—Stephen Kearse, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
The film playfully critiques certain Muslim customs, but never in a demeaning way, while providing a heartwarming coming-of-age narrative that’s a tad predictable.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Many of the jobs available to young and inexperienced workers are entry-level roles in the retail, restaurant and service industries, and these jobs are often talked about in a demeaning way.
—Brandon Busteed, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Residents suddenly realized that Trump’s demeaning rhetoric about Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants could extend to them.
—Julia Preston, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for demeaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demeaning
Adjective
-
Russian politicians and state media were thrilled to hear the U.S. president backing their insulting and obvious lies.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2025
-
La Liga players are often shown red cards for taking protests past the level which referees deem acceptable, sometimes for words which are less insulting or disrespectful than what was said by Bellingham.—
Dermot Corrigan,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Incentives for employees to resign or retire could lead to a loss of experienced staff, further degrading service quality.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Drill sergeants now minimize their use of profanity, insults and degrading remarks and strive to become support figures for trainees.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Historic barriers Examples include lack of mentors, lack of female role models, gender bias, derogatory behavior in the workplace, unequal growth opportunities, lesser wage scenarios, and more.—
Paige Francis,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Beyond the financial aspect, Cardi’s legal team secured additional protections, including a non-disparagement clause that strictly bars Tasha K from making defamatory or derogatory remarks about the rapper or her family.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Fraudsters are increasingly using generative AI to write convincing phishing emails, improve deepfakes, and draft new forms of malicious code — making scams harder to detect.—
Sam Sabin,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious apps is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The 2023 Economic Report Of The President published in March of 2023 was relatively disparaging of cryptoassets and DLTs.—
Lawrence Wintermeyer,
Forbes,
5 Dec. 2024
-
Prior to appearing on Cunningham's show on Monday, Huggins made more disparaging remarks about Xavier.—
Emily DeLetter,
The Enquirer,
10 May 2023
Adjective
-
Craig, on the other hand, is a skittish cat who was rescued from an abusive situation before being adopted.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
-
These studies focus on long-term patterns of yelling and other abusive behaviors. 6 .—
Daryl Austin,
Parents,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In conservative circles, the pejorative label stuck.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Dec. 2024
-
These asylum seekers came to be known as Vietnamese boat people, a name that has come to be regarded as pejorative — the sort of dehumanizing language often used in indexing immigrants.—
Brendan Quinn,
The Athletic,
1 July 2024
Adjective
-
Though the pollen gunk will pass, he's concerned by a contingent of Twitter trolls who've shared uncomplimentary reviews of his recent North American tour.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE.com,
21 Jan. 2022
-
Neither party admitted to liability and each agreed to refrain from making disparaging, negative or uncomplimentary statements about the other, the document said.—
Lorraine Mirabella,
Baltimore Sun,
29 July 2022
Cite this Entry
“Demeaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demeaning. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share