humiliate
gb/hjumˈɪliˌeɪt/ us/hjumˈɪliˌeɪt/
B2
English
~ 9500
megaláz
VERB
B2
1
megaláz
B2
Usage pattern:
to humiliate [someone] (often in front of [others])
The teacher humiliated him by laughing at his question in front of the whole class.
A tanár az egész osztály előtt kinevette a kérdését, ezzel megalázta őt.
She felt humiliated when her boss criticized her loudly in the meeting.
Megalázva érezte magát, amikor a főnöke hangosan bírálta az értekezleten.
Posting that private photo online was meant to humiliate her.
He apologized for his comment, saying he never meant to humiliate anyone.
They humiliated the contestant by asking cruel personal questions on live television.
Learner examples
The coach humiliated the player by shouting at him in front of the team.
Az edző megalázta a játékost azzal, hogy a csapat előtt rákiabált.
I was humiliated when I fell on the stage.
Megalázva éreztem magam, amikor elestem a színpadon.
She humiliated her friend by telling his secret to everyone.
He did not want to humiliate his son, so he spoke to him in private.
The story in the newspaper humiliated the politician.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I feel humiliate"* instead of *"I feel humiliated"*. Remember: **humiliate** is the verb ("They humiliate me"), and **humiliated** is the adjective or past participle ("I feel humiliated"). Learners may also confuse **humiliate** with **embarrass**; **humiliate** is stronger and usually suggests a serious loss of dignity, often in public.
Meaning
make someone feel very ashamed
Collocations
publicly humiliate
|deeply humiliate
|humiliate a child
|humiliate someone in public
|utterly humiliate
Synonyms
embarrass (Usually milder; may not involve serious loss of dignity.)
|
shame (Focuses more on making someone feel morally bad or guilty.)
|
degrade (Stronger and more formal; emphasizes lowering someone's status or worth.)
Antonyms
respect (To treat someone with care and honor, the opposite of making them feel small.)
|
honor (To show great respect and admiration instead of causing shame.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|conflict
|social
|communication
Definition
to make someone feel very ashamed and small, especially when other people see it
To make someone feel deeply ashamed, foolish, or without dignity, especially in front of other people.
VERB
B2
2
megaláz
B2
Usage pattern:
to humiliate [an opponent / a team / a rival] [in competition or argument]
The home team humiliated their rivals, winning 6–0.
A hazai csapat 6–0-ra verte a riválisait, és ezzel megalázta őket.
The candidate was humiliated in the debate when she could not answer basic questions.
A jelölt megalázó helyzetbe került a vitában, amikor nem tudott válaszolni az alapvető kérdésekre.
The court decision humiliated the government, striking down its key policy.
They set out to humiliate the champion and prove he was overrated.
The company was humiliated when a small startup solved the problem they had said was impossible.
Learner examples
Our team humiliated them and scored many goals.
A csapatunk megalázta őket, és sok gólt szerzett.
The lawyer humiliated the witness with simple questions.
Az ügyvéd egyszerű kérdésekkel megalázta a tanút.
The small country humiliated the big country in the football game.
He was humiliated in the debate because he was not prepared.
The old record holder was humiliated by the young runner.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this use only means "to defeat". It also includes the idea of **shame** or **loss of face** for the losing side, not just losing a game or argument.
Meaning
defeat someone in a shaming way
Collocations
humiliate the opposition
|humiliate their rivals
|utterly humiliate
|humiliate the government
|politically humiliate
Synonyms
crush (Informal; often used in sports or competition to show very easy or total victory.)
|
trounce (Informal and vivid; focuses on winning by a very large margin.)
Antonyms
lose to (Describes being defeated instead of defeating the other side completely.)
|
be outplayed by (Shows the speaker's side was clearly weaker rather than winning easily.)
Themes
competition
|conflict
|emotions
|relationships
|sports
Definition
to beat someone very easily or show they are very wrong, so they feel ashamed
To defeat, expose, or prove someone completely wrong in a way that makes them look weak or foolish, often in public.
Grammar
Dictionary form
humiliate
IPA
GB/hjumˈɪliˌeɪt/
US/hjumˈɪliˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
hu - mi - li - ate (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (mi)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: humiliate
- 3rd Person Singular: humiliates
- Present Participle: humiliating
- Past: humiliated
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.