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Glite Dictionary
🐔 To remove feathers 🏅 To take honors
to deplume

to deplume

9.9
To take away titles and honors from a person or group
  • verb
  • /dɪˈplum/
  • Archaic
translation icon : despojar
  • After the scandal, the committee decided to deplume him of his titles and privileges.

Examples

  • Witnessing his fall from grace, his peers watched as he was deplumed of every honor he held.

  • The scandal will deplume the politician's reputation.

  • The organization was deplumed of its awards after the corruption revelations came to light.

  • Don't deplume his contributions to the project!

  • After the scandal, the committee decided to deplume him of his titles and privileges.

  • The organization was deplumed of its awards after the corruption revelations came to light.

  • Witnessing his fall from grace, his peers watched as he was deplumed of every honor he held.

Synonyms

to deprive
vsto deplume
198 3.2

To take something important away from someone or stop them having it

refers to taking honors, possessions, or attributes rather than essential needs
to strip
vsto deplume
  • Formal
48 5.1

Take away someone's possessions, rights, or honours

is used for removal of honors or attributes without implying force
to displume
vsto deplume
  • Archaic
9.9

To take away someone's honors or titles

is the more general form, removing honors or possessions literally or figuratively
to disentitle
vsto deplume
  • Formal
8.1

To take away someone's right or claim to something

is broader, removing honors, possessions, or social attributes not only legal rights

Antonyms

to reward
328 1.3

To give something to someone to thank them for doing something good

Surface Forms

deplume infinitive
deplumed past
deplumed past participle
depluming present participle
deplumes third person singular

Morphology

deplume = plume (semi-transparent) = de + plume

This sense is a metaphorical extension (removing honors or distinguishing attributes) from the literal 'remove feathers', so the connection is present but not fully obvious to all learners.

Etymology

The word deplume starts with de- 'remove' and plume 'feather'. Long ago a feather was a sign of honor on a hat, so to deplume someone is to strip away their honors or titles, like plucking the feathers from a proud hat.