demote
gb/dɪmˈoʊt/ us/dɪmˈoʊt/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
lower someone's rank or job
to give someone a lower job or rank
Usage pattern:
demote [someone] from [higher position] to [lower position]
Common mistake:
Do not say “demote down”; demote already means move to a lower rank or position.
Synonyms
downgrade (broader; can refer to rank, quality, or status, not only a person’s job)
|
reduce in rank (clear and explicit, but less concise)
|
bump down (informal; suggests moving someone to a lower position)
Antonyms
promote (move someone to a higher job or rank)
|
elevate (raise someone to a higher status or position, often more formal)
Collocations
demote an employee
|demote a manager
|demote an officer
|be demoted to assistant manager
|be demoted from captain
|demote someone for misconduct
|demote someone after an investigation
|face being demoted
Themes
work
|business
|military
|organizations
Examples
- After the investigation, the company demoted him from regional director to sales manager.
- She was demoted for repeatedly missing important deadlines.
- The officer was demoted to sergeant after violating department rules.
Learner examples
- My boss demoted me after a big mistake.
- He was demoted to a lower position.
Verb
B2
action
2
lower something in importance
to make something less important or give it a lower position
Usage pattern:
demote [something] to [lower status/category/priority]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse demote with delete; something that is demoted still exists but has a lower status or priority.
Synonyms
downgrade (very close; often used for lowering status, category, or rating)
|
deprioritize (specifically means make less urgent or less important)
|
relegate (often means move something to a less important role or position)
Antonyms
promote (give something greater importance, visibility, or rank)
|
prioritize (make something more important or urgent)
|
upgrade (raise something to a higher category, status, or quality)
Collocations
demote a project
|demote an issue
|demote a priority
|demote a feature
|demote a story
|demote search results
|demote a web page
|be demoted to a footnote
|demote a team
|demote a task
Themes
organizations
|media
|technology
|sports
Examples
- As costs rose, the renovation plan was demoted to a long-term goal.
- The news app demotes stories that users mark as misleading.
- After poor results, the club was demoted to a lower league.
Learner examples
- The project was demoted because it was not urgent.
- The website demoted low-quality pages.
Verb
technical
C1
action
3
move to lower hierarchy level
to make an item a lower-level part of an outline or list
Usage pattern:
demote [heading/bullet/item] to [lower level]
Common mistake:
In an outline, demote usually means make an item more subordinate, not simply move it farther down the page.
Synonyms
indent (often the visible result of demoting a list item or paragraph)
|
subordinate (more formal; emphasizes making something lower in a hierarchy)
Antonyms
promote (move an item to a higher level in a hierarchy)
|
outdent (move text left, often making it a higher-level item)
Collocations
demote a heading
|demote a bullet point
|demote a list item
|demote a paragraph
|demote a slide
|demote a section
|demote to a subheading
|promote or demote an item
|click Demote
|demote one level
Themes
computing
|documents
|software
|writing
Examples
- In the outline, select the heading and click Demote to make it a subsection.
- Press Tab to demote the bullet point under the previous item.
- The slide title was demoted to a second-level heading when the presentation was reorganized.
Learner examples
- Click the button to demote the heading.
- I demoted the bullet so it became a subpoint.
Grammar
Dictionary form
demote
IPA
GB/dɪmˈoʊt/
US/dɪmˈoʊt/
Syllables & stress
de - mote (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (mote)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: demote
- 3rd Person Singular: demotes
- Present Participle: demoting
- Past: demoted
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.