undermine
Definitions
To gradually weaken or damage something, especially in a subtle or hidden way.
（暗中、逐渐地）削弱，破坏，损害
To dig away the base or foundation beneath something.
在……下方挖掘，掏空……的根基
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedunder- (beneath) + mine (dig) = 'dig a tunnel underneath.' In siege warfare, attackers undermined a castle wall by digging under it until it collapsed. The modern meaning is that act as metaphor: to undermine someone's confidence or authority is to weaken it quietly from below, so it crumbles without ever being attacked openly.
Why It Means This
Picture sappers tunneling under a fortress wall — they never strike the wall directly; they hollow out the ground beneath it until gravity does the rest. That is the whole force of undermine. It always implies damage that is quiet, gradual, and aimed at the foundation rather than the surface. You undermine trust, morale, or someone's position — not by open attack, but by chipping away underneath where no one is watching.
Common Collocations
- 1.undermine confidence动摇信心
- 2.undermine authority削弱权威
- 3.undermine efforts破坏努力成果
- 4.undermine trust损害信任
- 5.seriously undermine严重损害
Example Sentences
- 1.
Constant criticism can undermine a child's confidence.
- 2.
The scandal seriously undermined the government's authority.
- 3.
Rising costs are undermining the company's efforts to expand.
Synonym Comparison
- undermine — weaken quietly from the foundation, gradually and often covertly
- weaken — most general, any reduction in strength
- sabotage — deliberately wreck or obstruct, often a single destructive act
- erode — wear away slowly over time, usually without an agent's intent
- subvert — overthrow or corrupt a system from within, more political