demote
UK/,di:'məut/US/.di:'mәut/
GREC2
Definitions
v.
To lower someone to a lower rank or position.
使降级；使降职。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedde- ('down') + mot (move) = 'move down.' The exact mirror of promote: where promote moves someone up in rank, demote moves them down. It was coined in English precisely as the opposite of promote, by swapping the 'forward' prefix for a 'downward' one.
Root mov still carries 92 more wordsExample Sentences
- 1.
He was demoted to a junior role after the failed project.
- 2.
The team was demoted to a lower division this season.
Easily Confused
demote vs relegate — both lower a position, but demote is about an individual's rank at work or in an organization (demoted from manager), while relegate is broader: moving anything to a lower/worse place, especially teams in sport (relegated to a lower league) or things pushed aside (relegated to the basement).