degrading
adjective
de·grad·ing
di-ˈgrā-diŋ 
dē-
: causing or associated with a low, destitute, or demoralized state : causing someone to be or feel degraded
a degrading experience
… a work about a young man full of bottled rage looking for a degrading job …—
Penelope Gilliatt
Penelope Gilliatt… any cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of detainees was absolutely forbidden …—David Cole
David Cole
degradingly
di-ˈgrā-diŋ-lē
adverb
dē-
"I hate to be poor, and we are degradingly poor, offensively poor, miserably poor, beastly poor."
—Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
When employees are treated degradingly by their manager, they respond with decreased motivation, commitment, loyalty, and productivity.
—Ken Lloyd
Ken Lloyd
Examples of degrading in a Sentence
made degrading comments about his so-called friend behind his back
Recent Examples on the Web
But while the Internet is torn over whether Carpenter’s submissive position on the Man’s Best Friend cover is funny or degrading, Whoopi Goldberg was more concerned with something else.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 12 June 2025
Much like Ventura, Jane said she was also plied with drugs to keep her awake performing degrading acts, sometimes for days on end.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 June 2025
Earlier on Wednesday, Nash testified about how Combs would often call Ventura degrading names.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 28 May 2025
Ventura previously testified that Combs forced her to perform degrading acts.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 12 June 2025
Much like Ventura, Jane said she was also plied with drugs to keep her awake performing degrading acts, sometimes for days on end.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 June 2025
Earlier on Wednesday, Nash testified about how Combs would often call Ventura degrading names.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 28 May 2025
Ventura previously testified that Combs forced her to perform degrading acts.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Cite this Entry
“Degrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/degrading. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share