humiliating

[ hyoo-mil-ee-ey-tingor, often, yoo- ]

adjective

1. lowering the pride, self-respect, or dignity of a person; mortifying:

   Such a humiliating defeat was good for his overblown ego.

Other Words From

• hu·mili·ating·ly adverb
• self-hu·mili·ating adjective
• unhu·mili·ating adjective
• unhu·mili·ating·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of humiliating¹

First recorded in 1750–60; humiliat(e) + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Nikola Motor, a would-be Tesla rival that has faced a string of humiliating disasters since entering public markets just over six months ago, announced another one this morning.

From Fortune

Once, the noise was so disruptive to the class that the instructor told Varahn to mute herself, which she found humiliating.

From ProPublica

Russia was also elected, running unopposed and winning 158 votes after failing in its 2016 bid, but Saudi Arabia failed to make the cut-off in what’s seen as a humiliating blow to the kingdom’s attempts to brush up its image.

From Quartz

How she hid the humiliating pictures and videos of him masturbating from her boyfriend and young son.

From ProPublica

As much as China would like to forget its humiliating colonial history, when its territory was carved up by powerful countries, it appears to have no issue with dusting off colonial-era laws to crack down on present-day dissent.

From Quartz

In a humiliating turn of events, the ruble has lost about half its value against the dollar so far this year.

From The Daily Beast

But in Hebron you see what it means in its most humiliating manifestation.

From The Daily Beast

All of which, among other humiliating acts, are recounted in My Crazy Love.

From The Daily Beast

Divorce ensued, along with a deluge of humiliating media coverage.

From The Daily Beast

Hearing that is a lot easier than hearing something else, but it is not less, well, humiliating and scary, I guess.

From The Daily Beast

She checked these useless inquiries; they gave rise to painful and humiliating conjectures.

From Project Gutenberg

She felt indignant and degraded, and was exceedingly impatient to escape from the humiliating visit.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a humiliating circumstance that thus evens us with printers!

From Project Gutenberg

But in single-handed boat sailing this humiliating sense of dependence and inferiority disappears.

From Project Gutenberg

Somewhat confused by this humiliating avowal, Madame Bodard returned to her place at a faro-table.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• demeaning
• embarrassing
• humbling