Definition

Noun: 1. The act of humiliating someone; the state of being humiliated: The action of making someone feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and self-respect, or the resulting painful feeling. 2. A situation or event that causes someone to feel ashamed and lose respect: An instance of being made to feel stupid or worthless, often publicly.

Usage

Humiliation is an uncountable noun referring to the general feeling or process. It is also a countable noun for specific events. - Use it to describe a deep feeling of shame and loss of pride. - It often involves a public or social context where one's dignity is damaged.

Examples

• As an uncountable noun (feeling/state):
  • She felt a deep sense of humiliation after her mistake was announced to the whole team.
  • The defeat was a national humiliation for the country.
• As a countable noun (specific event):
  • Losing the election was a profound humiliation for the experienced politician.
  • He suffered one humiliation after another during his first week at the new job.

Advanced Usage

• To suffer humiliation: To experience a humiliating event or feeling.
  • The athlete suffered public humiliation after failing the drug test.
• To spare someone humiliation: To avoid causing someone to feel humiliated.
  • The teacher corrected the student privately to spare him any humiliation.
• Abject humiliation: An extreme and complete form of humiliation.
  • The leaked email caused him abject humiliation in his professional circle.

Variants and Related Words

• Humiliate (verb): To make someone feel ashamed and foolish.
  • He didn't want to humiliate his opponent, just defeat him fairly.
• Humiliating (adjective): Causing a feeling of humiliation.
  • It was a humiliating experience for everyone involved.

Synonyms

• Embarrassment: A feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness (often less severe than humiliation).
• Disgrace: The loss of reputation or respect, often as a result of dishonorable action.
• Mortification: Intense feeling of shame and embarrassment.
• Degradation: The condition of being lowered in dignity or status.

Antonyms

• Honor: High respect or esteem.
• Dignity: The state of being worthy of respect.
• Pride: A feeling of deep pleasure from one's own achievements or qualities.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• Add insult to injury: To make a bad situation worse, often in a way that is humiliating.
  • First they fired him, then, to add insult to injury, they made him clear out his desk in front of everyone.
• Rubbing salt in the wound: Making someone's humiliation or disappointment even worse.
  • Her critical comments were just rubbing salt in the wound after his failed presentation.

Noun

1. depriving one of self-esteem
2. an instance in which you are caused to lose your prestige or self-respect
   • he had to undergo one humiliation after another
3. strong feelings of embarrassment
4. state of disgrace or loss of self-respect