humiliate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To make someone feel ashamed or foolish, especially in front of other people.

   The teacher humiliated him by reading his poor essay aloud to the class.

2. 2
   verb

   To defeat someone completely and embarrassingly.

   The home team was humiliated five to nil.

Borrowed from Late Latin humiliātus, perfect passive participle of humiliō (“to abase, humble”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Latin humilis (“lowly, humble”), from humus (“ground; earth, soil”); see humble.

Topics