as in humiliating
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
being deprived of clothes dehumanized the prisoners
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of dehumanizing
The Creature thinks his suffering can only cease if it is replicated in another, and expresses this desire through possessive, dehumanizing language.
—
Rory Doherty, Time, 7 Mar. 2026
To fall in love with a chatbot or rely on it for friendship — to me that’s a pretty good definition of dehumanizing.
—Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
Immigration detainees have described life inside the west suburban processing facility as dehumanizing, a Tribune investigation over the summer found.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Additionally, there has been a climate of dehumanizing rhetoric by the nation's leaders, as well as a normalization of the use of threats and harassment against those on the other side of an issue, Hiller said.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dehumanizing
Rory Doherty, Time, 7 Mar. 2026
To fall in love with a chatbot or rely on it for friendship — to me that’s a pretty good definition of dehumanizing.
—Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
Immigration detainees have described life inside the west suburban processing facility as dehumanizing, a Tribune investigation over the summer found.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Additionally, there has been a climate of dehumanizing rhetoric by the nation's leaders, as well as a normalization of the use of threats and harassment against those on the other side of an issue, Hiller said.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dehumanizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dehumanizing
Verb
-
In her report, Soto accused Sibrian of allegedly mocking and humiliating her for her accent, immigration status and race and calling her stupid.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
State caseworkers have sent an untold number of elders in their care to a coterie of homes with a history of hurting, ignoring or humiliating their residents, records and anguished families say.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While Roger Federer is depicted as James Bond, in a tux, elegant and wrinkle-free, Nadal is called Rambo, ripped and relentless, brutalizing the ball and opponents alike.—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Euthanasia decisions are already brutalizing for dog owners, and those decisions may become even more fraught.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The chemotherapy doctors are poisoning you.—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Boys State team Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss are behind Teenage Wasteland, which revisits the story of a group of teenagers in upstate New York, who in the early 1990s make a film that uncovers a conspiracy that is poisoning their community.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dehumanizing. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
