DEHUMANIZE Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

dehumanize

verb

(ˌ)dē-ˈ(h)yü-mə-ˌnīz

Definition of dehumanize

as in to humiliate

to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being being deprived of clothes dehumanized the prisoners

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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 dehumanize The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan five years ago ushered in an era of dehumanizing restrictions for women and girls. — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Aug. 2026 LeFlouria tells the story from the perspectives of a number of Black women through history, centering the specific humanity of victims of a system that seeks to dehumanize. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Everyone feels like they’re dehumanized by the process in a way that leads them to suspect there’s something monstrous about the whole endeavor. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 July 2026 My book was meant to highlight both the personal and societal issues of early literacy deprivation, while tracking the prescient issue of increasing screen time dumbing down and dehumanizing society. — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dehumanize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dehumanize

Verb

My husband was humiliated, he was degraded, and not able to defend himself.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Our minds generate sharp retorts or zingers that would eviscerate or humiliate them.

— Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of humiliate

Verb

How many people will stay home rather than risk being racially profiled and brutalized?

— Kica Matos, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
In 2022, two corrections officers at the Laurens County Detention Center in South Carolina were arrested and charged with brutalizing an inmate and using a GLOVE device to repeatedly stun them, CNN noted.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of brutalize

Verb

Veterinarians determined that the snake's venom poisoned Samba, prompting them to give her antivenin.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Glutathione is processed in sterile compounding pharmacies, and there have been cases of people getting poisoned due to contamination at these facilities, Sack said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of poison

Browse Nearby Words

dégringolades

dehumanize

dehumanized

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“Dehumanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dehumanize. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of dehumanize

verb

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