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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Recent Examples of demean
Sabrina Haake, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2025
More:Trump signs executive order targeting transgender girls, women athletes
The judge said that, in applying that 1969 decision, federal courts have ruled schools can restrict messages that can be reasonably interpreted to demean a person’s identity and are reasonably expected to be disruptive.
—Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
No less an authority than former President Clinton warned Democrats last year about the risks of demeaning people on the right.
—John Blake, CNN, 19 Jan. 2025
An accomplished businesswoman, Margot bristles repeatedly when her family demeans her, especially Flora.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demean
Verb
Trump has no mandate Also, as Trump tries to demean you with Putin’s false claim that your approval rating is at 4%, keep in mind that Trump barely won.
—Sabrina Haake, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2025
More:Trump signs executive order targeting transgender girls, women athletes
The judge said that, in applying that 1969 decision, federal courts have ruled schools can restrict messages that can be reasonably interpreted to demean a person’s identity and are reasonably expected to be disruptive.
—Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
No less an authority than former President Clinton warned Democrats last year about the risks of demeaning people on the right.
—John Blake, CNN, 19 Jan. 2025
An accomplished businesswoman, Margot bristles repeatedly when her family demeans her, especially Flora.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demean
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Cite this Entry
“Demean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demean. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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