dehumanize
/di:'hju:mənaiz/ Cách viết khác : (dehumanize) /di:'hju:mənaiz/
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To deprive of human qualities, personality, or dignity: To treat someone or something in a way that reduces or removes their human characteristics, often making them seem like an object or machine.
- To make mechanical or routine: To render an activity or process so impersonal and standardized that it lacks human warmth, creativity, or individuality.
Usage
The verb dehumanize is used to describe the act of stripping away the qualities that make someone human. This can occur through cruel treatment, oppressive systems, or extremely impersonal processes. It often implies a harmful, unethical, or degrading action. - It is commonly used in contexts discussing war, poverty, slavery, oppressive labor, and bureaucratic systems. - The object of the verb is typically a person or a group of people.
Examples
- The brutal prison system was accused of dehumanizing the inmates.
- Propaganda often dehumanizes the enemy to make them easier to attack.
- Working on the monotonous assembly line for years had dehumanized him.
- The dictator's regime sought to dehumanize political dissidents.
Advanced Usage
- Dehumanizing (adjective): Describing something that has the effect of dehumanization.
- The prisoners were subjected to dehumanizing conditions.
- Dehumanization (noun): The process or result of being dehumanized.
- The dehumanization of workers is a serious ethical issue.
Variants and Related Words
- Dehumanise: The British English spelling of "dehumanize."
- Dehumanized (adjective): Describing someone or something that has been deprived of human qualities.
- He felt dehumanized by the constant surveillance.
Synonyms
- Brutalize: To treat someone in a cruel and violent way.
- Objectify: To treat a person as an object or thing.
- Degrade: To treat someone with contempt and disrespect, lowering their status.
Antonyms
- Humanize: To make something more human or humane; to give something a human character.
- Dignify: To make something seem worthy of honor or respect.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- Dehumanizing language: Language that denies the humanity of a person or group (e.g., using animalistic terms to describe people).
- Dehumanizing treatment: Actions or policies that strip individuals of their basic human rights and dignity.
Verb
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make mechanical or routine
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deprive of human qualities
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Life in poverty has dehumanized them
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