devirilise
Definition
Verb (transitive): - To make weak, effeminate, or lacking in virility: "devirilise" means to deprive someone or something of masculine strength, vigour, or characteristics, rendering them soft, feeble, or unmanly.
Usage Examples
- (The criticism made him feel weak and less assertive.)
- (Society is said to make men less manly or strong.)
Advanced Usage
- "to devirilise a culture": to strip a society or group of its perceived masculine qualities or strength.
- The long period of peace may have devirilised the warrior ethos of the tribe. (Peace weakened the tribe's traditional martial spirit.)
Variants and Related Words
- Devirilisation (noun): the process or result of being made weak or effeminate.
- The devirilisation of the army was a concern for the generals. (The weakening of the army's masculine character.)
- Devirilized (adjective): having been made weak or lacking in virility.
- He felt devirilized after losing his job. (He felt emasculated or powerless.)
Synonyms
- Effeminise: to make more feminine or womanly.
- Emasculate: to deprive of masculine strength or vigour.
- Enervate: to weaken or drain of energy.
Related Idioms
- To take the man out of a man: to strip someone of his masculine qualities.
- The constant bullying took the man out of him. (It made him feel less manly.)
Note: This word is relatively rare and often used in formal or academic contexts, particularly in discussions of gender roles, psychology, or sociology. It is the British English spelling; the American English variant is "devirilize."