as in discrediting
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the reigning tennis champ was humiliated on the court by a newcomer who defeated him in straight sets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in demeaning
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 humiliating
Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
The incursion was a humiliating blow to the Kremlin — the first time the country’s territory was occupied by an invader since World War II.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Fortunately, the comedic characters liven things up, especially Josh Carpenter’s performance as Malvolio, steward to Olivia and the brunt of a humiliating prank.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
Both said pushing back provoked his ire and that Combs sometimes threatened to release humiliating footage from freak-offs.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for humiliating
Verb
But if recent results are anything to go by, the World Cup in 12 months could end up in a humiliating disappointment.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
The incursion was a humiliating blow to the Kremlin — the first time the country’s territory was occupied by an invader since World War II.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Fortunately, the comedic characters liven things up, especially Josh Carpenter’s performance as Malvolio, steward to Olivia and the brunt of a humiliating prank.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
Both said pushing back provoked his ire and that Combs sometimes threatened to release humiliating footage from freak-offs.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for humiliating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humiliating
Verb
-
Poor data quality can provide wrong models and alerts, discrediting predictive monitoring.—
Hrushikesh Deshmukh,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Johnson released new guidelines for reporting gifts Wednesday after discrediting the investigation.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump tried to claim that media reports about his administration’s early conclusions were somehow demeaning attacks on the performance of our military.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
-
Loss of community trust Trans and nonbinary people have often been studied under opportunistic and demeaning circumstances.—
Paz Galupo,
The Conversation,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Another study in Frontiers in Neuroscience found that even moderate, chronic sleep restriction produces cumulative effects, subtly degrading decision quality and emotional regulation over time.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
Remember, too, that placing the plastic ID tags that come with your plant near its base isn’t a great solution; they get lost and break easily, and the degrading plastic isn’t good for the health of your soil.—
Mike Irvine,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 June 2025
Verb
-
And make no mistake, travel shaming in the age of the internet is fun – at least for those doing the shaming.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA TODAY,
27 Dec. 2024
-
Frazier, the woman with the Dubai video, said at first that the shaming comments upset her.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA TODAY,
27 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Humiliating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humiliating. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share