demean 1 of 2

verb (1)

di-ˈmēn How to pronounce demean (audio)
Definition of demeannext
1
as in to degrade
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
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

demean

2 of 2

verb (2)

as in to behave
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 demean
Verb
Cavalli was not using this as a racial slur, but plenty of black athletes have used it to demean white people without the league getting involved, without suspensions, and zero fines for their offenses. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Dean also wrote that she was also subjected to demeaning comments from the late radio host Don Imus during her tenure as a news editor and reporter for his program in the early 2000s. — Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026 Because he was being completely bullied and demeaned and excused. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 None of this is meant to demean Byram, who’ll likely now face extra scrutiny from a fanbase that’s surely perplexed by this move, especially once the Blackhawks extend his contract, possibly to the $10 million range. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for demean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demean
  1. degrade
  2. humiliate
  3. behave
  4. weaken
  5. discredit
  6. carry
  7. subvert
  8. acquit
Verb
  • Moreover, certified testing by the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR) verified the materials won’t degrade, rating them for over 10 years of continuous use.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Use that gap to isolate the employee's side, then deliberately degrade whatever residual customer voice remains.
    — Vivek Thomas, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of degrade
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
  • Search for jet quenching Previous experiments suggest that a millionth of a second after the Big Bang, even as temperatures remained extremely high, matter did not behave like gas but instead like liquid with very low viscosity.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The denim industry does not necessarily need another product that behaves exactly like PP.
    — Alice Tonello, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of behave
Verb
  • Even if Korea can maintain 2% economic growth over the next two decades, consumption growth gradually weakens and eventually turns negative, according to Goldman’s long-term modeling.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Riggs said the Teamsters’ safety argument is weakened by the inconsistent safety record of human truck drivers, who have fallen asleep at the wheel or driven while distracted or otherwise impaired.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • In trying to discredit public concerns about data centers as a psyop, Goldman and others said, tech leaders are taking a page out of the intelligence playbook themselves.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Inflicting these details on the jury, the children’s family members, and the public served no discernible purpose in establishing Clancy’s mens rea, which might have discredited her not-guilty plea.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of discredit
Verb
  • Washington claimed that the launchers were preparing to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the Hormuz Strait.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • When difficulty arrives, will your routines carry you forward?
    — Jason Bork, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of carry
Verb
  • The film’s procedural aspect ticks along just fine, holding the attention without subverting expectations, and carried by actors who, much like the detectives in this case, are ultra-capable professionals with no inclination to go rogue on us.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The show also pokes fun at the late 1990s and early 2000s liberal cultural consensus that was upheld in other popular culture of the time while also both replicating and subverting stereotypes of suburban Southern white Americans.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of subvert
Verb
  • Prosecutors decided to retry Read, and she was acquitted of the most serious charges, second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death, by a new jury in June 2025.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • She was acquitted in 1893 but has remained on of the most infamous murder suspects in American history.
    — Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of acquit

Browse Nearby Words

dematerializing
demean
demeaned
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Demean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demean. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All