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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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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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
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Recent Examples of demean
Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Cruelty Is Mistaken For Emotional Depth In emotionally intense relationships, demeaning behavior is often reframed as emotional honesty.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The sudden loss of a job that is appreciated worldwide, but demeaned by many in their homeland, is devastating, Justus said.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Black Sun is set in the time of an uninhabitable drought and follows Kai, who struggles with his retracting genital and his wife, Ling, who demeans him with this impotency.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demean
Verb
The Ramirez cartoon demeans these hardworking Americans whose earnings leave them unable to afford private health insurance and perpetuates the fiction that Medicaid recipients are freeloaders.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Cruelty Is Mistaken For Emotional Depth In emotionally intense relationships, demeaning behavior is often reframed as emotional honesty.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The sudden loss of a job that is appreciated worldwide, but demeaned by many in their homeland, is devastating, Justus said.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Black Sun is set in the time of an uninhabitable drought and follows Kai, who struggles with his retracting genital and his wife, Ling, who demeans him with this impotency.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demean
Cite this Entry
“Demean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demean. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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