Demeaning

Demeaning
Demean De*mean", v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Demeaned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Demeaning}.] [OF. demener to conduct, guide, manage, F. se d['e]mener to struggle; pref. d['e]- (L. de) + mener to lead, drive, carry on, conduct, fr. L. minare to drive animals by threatening cries, fr. minari to threaten. See {Menace}.] 1. To manage; to conduct; to treat. [1913 Webster]

[Our] clergy have with violence demeaned the matter. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. To conduct; to behave; to comport; -- followed by the reflexive pronoun. [1913 Webster]

They have demeaned themselves Like men born to renown by life or death. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

They answered . . . that they should demean themselves according to their instructions. --Clarendon. [1913 Webster]

3. To debase; to lower; to degrade; -- followed by the reflexive pronoun. [1913 Webster]

Her son would demean himself by a marriage with an artist's daughter. --Thackeray. [1913 Webster]

Note: This sense is probably due to a false etymology which regarded the word as connected with the adjective mean. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • demeaning — index disgraceful Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • demeaning — 1880, pp. adj. from DEMEAN (Cf. demean) …   Etymology dictionary

  • demeaning — de|mean|ing [dıˈmi:nıŋ] adj showing less respect for someone than they deserve, or making someone feel embarrassed or ashamed →↑degrading demeaning to ▪ policies demeaning to women ▪ I refuse to do demeaning work …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • demeaning — [[t]dɪmi͟ːnɪŋ[/t]] ADJ GRADED: oft ADJ to n Something that is demeaning makes people have less respect for the person who is treated in that way, or who does that thing. ...making demeaning sexist comments... Aid, however it is obtained, is… …   English dictionary

  • demeaning — /di mee ning/, adj. that demeans; debasing; degrading: Being forced to apologize when I had done nothing wrong was a demeaning task. [1875 80; DEMEAN1 + ING2] * * * …   Universalium

  • demeaning — de|mean|ing [ dı minıŋ ] adjective demeaning behavior or treatment makes people have less respect for you: DEGRADING …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • demeaning — UK [dɪˈmiːnɪŋ] / US [dɪˈmɪnɪŋ] adjective demeaning behaviour or treatment makes people have less respect for you …   English dictionary

  • demeaning — demean ► VERB 1) cause to suffer a loss of dignity or respect. 2) (demean oneself) do something that is beneath one s dignity. DERIVATIVES demeaning adjective. ORIGIN from DE (Cf. ↑de ) + MEAN …   English terms dictionary

  • demeaning — adjective degrading; that degrades …   Wiktionary

  • demeaning — Synonyms and related words: beneath one, cheap, common, debasing, degrading, deplorable, disadvantaged, disgraceful, gutter, humble, humiliating, humiliative, in the shade, inferior, infra dig, infra indignitatem, junior, less, lesser, low, lower …   Moby Thesaurus

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