😞 Humiliating 💔 Damaging 🧬 Breaking down

degradative

7.7

Making someone feel ashamed or less respected

adjective
/dɪˈɡrædəˌtɪv/

: degradante

Such degradative treatment can damage a person's confidence and self-worth.

Examples

The film was criticized for its degradative portrayal of certain groups.
The manager's degradative comments made the employees feel unappreciated.
The degradative remarks from the critics hurt her feelings.
Many consider bullying to be a degradative behavior.
The therapist explained that degradative experiences in childhood can affect mental health later in life.
Her degradative remarks about his performance left him feeling embarrassed and humiliated.
The degradative nature of the bullying made it difficult for the victim to regain their self-esteem.

Synonyms

disrespectful

vsdegradative

121 3.0

Not polite to someone, for example interrupting them

is stronger, implying damage to dignity beyond simple rudeness

shameful

vsdegradative

89 4.7

Causing shame because it is morally wrong

stresses moral blame while the key stresses the loss of dignity

humiliating

vsdegradative

Offensive

80 4.5

Making someone feel embarrassed or ashamed in front of other people

targets loss of dignity more broadly, not only shame from faults

disgraceful

vsdegradative

46 3.0

Very bad or shocking behaviour that makes people lose respect

focuses on causing personal loss of dignity rather than general scandal

derogatory

vsdegradative

39 6.9

Expressing an insulting, disrespectful view of someone or something

aims more at damaging dignity and moral standing than mere criticism

demeaning

vsdegradative

33 4.8

Making someone feel small and unimportant

focuses on the same loss of dignity rather than speaker tone

degrading

vsdegradative

21 5.5

Causing someone to feel ashamed and less respected

has identical meaning and effect on dignity

undignified

vsdegradative

11 4.7

Appearing or behaving in a way that makes people lose respect

is about causing deeper moral or personal degradation rather than appearance

derisive

vsdegradative

Offensive

9 7.7

Showing you do not respect someone and think they are silly

focuses on causing loss of dignity in the person rather than attitude

mortifying

vsdegradative

7 7.0

Making someone feel very embarrassed or ashamed

is similar but covers dignity loss generally, not only extreme shame

disparaging

vsdegradative

Offensive

1 7.0

Showing a low opinion of someone or something

concerns actions that remove dignity rather than just negative opinion

debasing

vsdegradative

7.5

To make a person feel ashamed and lose respect

emphasizes moral loss of standing as the core difference

highly derogatory

vsdegradative

Offensive

7.5

Very insulting and likely to deeply offend people

is about causing loss of dignity generally, not only harsh insults

depreciatory

vsdegradative

8.2

Showing that someone or something is not important and often insulting them

centers on harming personal dignity rather than merely devaluing

Antonyms

respectful

150 1.1

Being polite and showing admiration for someone

uplifting

1 4.1

A rise of land, water, or air to a higher level

How Degrading

degradative

7.7

humiliating

Offensive

80 4.5

demeaning

33 4.8

Surface Forms

degradative positive

Morphology

degradative = degrade (transparent) = degrade + ative

For learners who know the verb 'degrade', the adjective meaning 'causing degradation' is a straightforward suffixal extension.

Etymology

Degradative comes from the parts de- 'down' and grade 'step' or 'rank', the same root you see in grade and graduate. So a degradative action makes someone 'step down' in respect or position, which is why it means 'humiliating' or causing a loss of dignity.