uncrown
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To deprive of a crown or royal status: "uncrown" means to remove a monarch from power, typically by force or legal process, effectively ending their reign.
- To strip of authority or preeminence: In a figurative sense, "uncrown" can refer to removing someone from a position of leadership, dominance, or highest status in any domain.
Usage Examples
- Literal (royal): (They aimed to depose him from the throne.)
- Figurative (leadership): (She defeated and replaced the top-ranked player.)
- Figurative (status): (They displace the previously dominant companies.)
Advanced Usage
"to uncrown oneself": to voluntarily give up a crown or position of power.
- The ageing monarch decided to uncrown himself and retire. (He abdicated the throne willingly.)
"uncrowned king/queen": a person who is widely recognized as the best or most influential in a field, even without an official title.
- He was the uncrowned king of jazz guitar. (He was considered the greatest, though not officially titled.)
Variants and Related Words
Uncrowned (adj): not having a crown; deprived of a crown or not yet crowned.
- The uncrowned prince waited for his coronation. (The prince had not yet been formally crowned.)
Crown (n/v): the headdress of a monarch; to place a crown on someone.
- They crowned the new queen in a grand ceremony. (They formally installed her as queen.)
Synonyms
- Depose: to remove from office or power, especially a monarch.
- Dethrone: to remove from a throne; to deprive of supreme status.
- Oust: to expel or remove from a position or place.
- Overthrow: to defeat and remove from power by force.
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
Uncrown someone's efforts: to thwart or undermine someone's attempts to achieve a goal.
- The scandal uncrowned all his hard work. (It ruined the results of his efforts.)
Uncrown a champion: to defeat a reigning champion in a competition.
- The underdog athlete uncrowned the defending champion. (She beat the title holder.)
Related Idioms
To take the crown: to win a championship or achieve top status (opposite of "uncrown").
- After years of training, she finally took the crown. (She became the champion.)
To lose one's crown: to be defeated or dethroned.
- The king lost his crown in the civil war. (He was deposed from power.)