humiliate
Definitions
To make someone feel ashamed and foolish, especially in front of others; to injure their dignity.
羞辱，使丢脸，使（尤当众）感到难堪屈辱。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom humilis (low, on the ground) + -ate (to make). Literally 'to bring someone down to the ground' — to lower their standing, usually in public. The earth image is exact: their dignity is pushed into the dirt.
Root hum still carries 46 more wordsWhy It Means This
Humiliate is stronger and more public than 'embarrass.' You can embarrass yourself by accident (tripping on stage), but humiliate usually means someone actively forces another's pride down — the literal humus image of being put on the ground.
Common Collocations
- 1.humiliate publicly公开羞辱
- 2.feel humiliated感到屈辱
- 3.deeply humiliating极其难堪的
Example Sentences
- 1.
He humiliated her by mocking her accent in front of everyone.
- 2.
Losing so badly at home humiliated the whole team.
- 3.
Don't humiliate your child by scolding them in public.
Easily Confused
humiliate vs embarrass — embarrass is milder and often self-caused (I embarrassed myself); humiliate is harsher, usually done to you, and damages dignity, not just comfort. Tripping = embarrassing; being publicly mocked = humiliating.