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

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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

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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

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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
  • Iran is expanding its defense capabilities, an Iranian army commander said Wednesday, after much of the country’s equipment was degraded by US-Israeli strikes in the early days of the war.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The status of its nuclear program, degraded by bombing strikes in 2025, hasn't changed.
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • Much of the behavior on display is plainly harassment and bullying, often filmed without the subjects’ knowledge or consent and uploaded online to humiliate them further.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In their first national title game, the Wildcats humiliated Oklahoma in the national semifinal by 44, and in their second, demoralized Michigan in the title game by 17.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 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
  • Highlight one strong detail, ask what outcome matters most, and let your craft carry the room.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Moon Jong-won rounds out the cast as Um Sang-pil, who runs a bed-and-breakfast and carries a past shrouded in mystery.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Aug. 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
  • Rogers was acquitted at trial of the more serious charge of conspiracy to commit economic espionage.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In 2023, a bipartisan group of lawmakers voted to impeach him for abuse of his office, but the state Senate acquitted him.
    — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of acquit

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Cite this Entry

“Demean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demean. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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