humiliate
To make someone feel very ashamed or silly in front of others.
humiliate in a sentence
- Tripping over on stage in front of the whole school humiliated poor Priya.
- A kind teacher will never humiliate a pupil for giving a wrong answer in front of the class.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to humiliate?
- Arespect
- Bpraise
- Cembarrass
- Dhonour
Show the answer
C: embarrass. The other three mean the opposite of humiliate.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to humiliate?
- Amock
- Bembarrass
- Cshame
- Dpraise
Show the answer
D: praise. The other three mean nearly the same as humiliate.
Words that mean something similar
embarrass, shame, mock
Words that mean the opposite
praise, honour, respect
More words about emotions & feelings
- hysterical: So overcome with emotion that you cannot control yourself.
- idolise: To love and admire someone so much you think they are perfect.
- impatient: Not wanting to wait for something.
- indifferent: Not caring or interested either way.
- indignant: Angry because something seems unfair.
- infuriate: To make someone lose their temper completely.
- inspire: To fill someone with the wish or the courage to do something.
- irate: Very angry, and showing it by shouting or complaining.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test