demeaned 1 of 2

verb (1)

past tense of demean
1
as in degraded
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 humiliated
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

demeaned

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of demean
as in behaved
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 demeaned
Verb
Others have even demeaned the credibility of his creative achievements and professional accolades, attributing such success as a mere byproduct of his proximity and relationship to Hov. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 28 July 2026 Because he was being completely bullied and demeaned and excused. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 Racists dismissed them as lesser beings, demeaned them and made life hard for all people of color — whites-only facilities and hard jobs. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026 The shrine is Canton is demeaned and the Class of ‘26 stained. — Greg Cote february 1, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026 For one thing, Lucy can’t even get off anymore without being actively demeaned. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026 They were being demeaned for that, or devalued for that in this critical time. — Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 16 Nov. 2025 Beyond wait time fees, the DOJ complaint also details instances where Uber drivers allegedly refused service to passengers with service animals, canceled rides after learning a passenger was blind, or demeaned riders with disabilities. — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025 Stern also has talked about the value of therapy, come to the middle-aged realization his younger self demeaned women and appeared on Anderson Cooper, all of which seem like signs of just basic human growth or existence. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demeaned
  1. degraded
  2. humiliated
  3. behaved
  4. corrupted
  5. discredited
  6. acquitted
  7. deteriorated
  8. restrained
Verb
  • The casing worked for the electrons but couldn’t keep protons at bay, which degraded the photon detectors.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing has degraded more for Latino men, however, than the simple pleasures of life.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of degraded
Verb
  • One of its proof points was supposed to be Maine, where Graham Platner humiliated the party establishment, then himself.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But the Saudis, humiliated by their losses in Yemen, seem likely to lash out.
    — Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of humiliated
Verb
  • The vegetables’ changing moisture, texture and shape also meant no two instruments behaved exactly alike.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The company has since disclosed several additional incidents where its models behaved in unintended ways, prompting industry researchers and government officials to call for additional oversight.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of behaved
Verb
  • The audience is interacting with an object that had been scanned, that had been corrupted in some way.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Obama and Biden were corrupted by donors who wanted cheap labor.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of corrupted
Verb
  • The arrival of Dutch elm disease not only ravaged these green spaces, but discredited the whole goal of aiming for such uniformity.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The issue here is not with this project, which is building something artistic and beautiful, but with a broader, pro-AI tech culture that has discredited AI and its public image.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of discredited
Verb
  • The judge deferred ruling on Rashbaum’s constitutional challenge until after trial, and the issue became moot when the jury acquitted Renaud on all counts.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Images of an angry and sobbing Brown became the media’s hallmark of grief during the criminal trial, particularly when Simpson was acquitted in 1995.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of acquitted
Verb
  • The central bank's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations found that consumers expect inflation to be even higher a year from now, while perceptions about their own financial standing deteriorated.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • However, as Germany’s economic problems — slow growth, high inflation, rising energy prices — have worsened, public sentiment toward the newcomers has deteriorated.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • Even after the attacker was restrained, passengers remained terrified.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Once passengers and crew restrained the attacker, the aircraft could be stabilized and redirected toward a suitable airport.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of restrained

Browse Nearby Words

demean
demeaned
demeaning
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demeaned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demeaned. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All