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Definition of demean verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

demean

verb
 
/dɪˈmiːn/
 
/dɪˈmiːn/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they demean
 
/dɪˈmiːn/
 
/dɪˈmiːn/
he / she / it demeans
 
/dɪˈmiːnz/
 
/dɪˈmiːnz/
past simple demeaned
 
/dɪˈmiːnd/
 
/dɪˈmiːnd/
past participle demeaned
 
/dɪˈmiːnd/
 
/dɪˈmiːnd/
-ing form demeaning
 
/dɪˈmiːnɪŋ/
 
/dɪˈmiːnɪŋ/
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  1. demean yourself to do something that makes people have less respect for you
    • I wouldn't demean myself by asking for charity.
  2. demean somebody/something to make people have less respect for somebody/something synonym degrade
    • Such images demean women.
    • Behaviour like this demeans politics.
  3. Word Originearly 17th cent.: from de- ‘away, down’ + the adjective mean, on the pattern of debase.
See demean in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
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