emasculate

[ verb ih-mas-kyuh-leyt; adjective ih-mas-kyuh-lit, -leyt ]

verb (used with object)

, e·mas·cu·lat·ed, e·mas·cu·lat·ing.

1. to deprive of strength; weaken:

   The law was emasculated by its opponents, making it largely ineffective by the time it was passed.

   Synonyms: soften, devitalize, undermine, debilitate

2. to make (a man) feel less masculine:

   Though some men might feel emasculated not making an income, I'm very happy as a stay-at-home father.

3. to remove the testicles of; castrate.

adjective

1. deprived of or lacking strength or vigor; effeminate.

emasculate

verb

1. to remove the testicles of; castrate; geld
2. to deprive of vigour, effectiveness, etc
3. botany to remove the stamens from (a flower) to prevent self-pollination for the purposes of plant breeding

adjective

1. castrated; gelded
2. deprived of strength, effectiveness, etc

Derived Forms

• eˈmasculative, adjective
• eˌmascuˈlation, noun
• eˈmascuˌlator, noun

Other Words From

• e·mas·cu·la·tion [ih-mas-ky, uh, -, ley, -sh, uh, n], noun
• e·mas·cu·la·tive adjective
• e·mas·cu·la·tor noun
• e·mas·cu·la·to·ry [ih-, mas, -ky, uh, -l, uh, -tawr-ee], adjective
• self-e·mas·cu·la·tion noun
• un·e·mas·cu·lat·ed adjective
• un·e·mas·cu·la·tive adjective
• un·e·mas·cu·la·to·ry adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of emasculate¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin ēmasculātus (past participle of ēmasculāre ), equivalent to ē- “from”+ māscul(us) “male” + -ātus adjective suffix; e- ¹, male, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of emasculate¹

C17: from Latin ēmasculāre, from masculus male; see masculine

Example Sentences

It's childish and weird to act like even looking at a tampon box will emasculate you.

From Salon

Ben Berman, a New York City vegan who began a serious weightlifting regimen last year, said he's trying to reappropriate the epithet "soy boy," historically used to emasculate vegan and vegetarian men.

From Salon

“He changed it to pink because he thought it would emasculate them,” Hanink added.

From Los Angeles Times

Noting that Mr. Wade had cancer at the time, she said, “I am not going to emasculate a Black man.”

From New York Times

She implied that Wade’s cancer may have rendered him incapable of a romantic relationship, then she said she would not “emasculate a Black man.”

From Slate

Related Words

• vitiate