What does demean mean?
To demean is to rob a person of dignity or respect, whether through one's own actions toward them or through conduct that lowers oneself. The verb is most often used reflexively — 'she would not demean herself by lying' — and carries a strongly negative charge, implying degradation, humiliation, or a fall from an accepted standard of worth. It frequently appears in discussions of workplace culture, media, and social treatment, where 'demeaning' describes conditions or behavior that strip people of their humanity or self-respect. The word has a second, now largely historical sense meaning simply 'to behave,' which survives mainly in the familiar noun 'demeanor.' Derived ultimately from Old French, demean shares deep roots with words like 'menace,' making its history as interesting as its forceful present-day use.
To cause someone to lose dignity or the respect of others; to degrade or debase.
"The report condemned the demeaning way employees were spoken to by management."
To lower oneself through unworthy conduct; also, archaically, to conduct or behave oneself in a specified way.
"He would not demean himself by engaging in petty quarrels."
The same Latin root that gives us 'menace' once meant 'to drive on with threats' — so when you demean someone, etymologically speaking, you're driving them down.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of demean
Demean entered English in the Middle English period via Old French 'demener,' meaning 'to lead, conduct, or carry on,' formed from the intensive prefix 'de-' plus 'mener' ('to lead'), which traces back to Late Latin '*minare,' a derivative of Latin 'minari,' 'to threaten or jut out.' The original English sense was 'to conduct or comport oneself,' preserved today in the noun 'demeanor'; the sense 'to debase or lower in dignity' developed later and has become the standard modern meaning. The same Latin root yields 'menace' and 'minatory,' making them distant cousins of demean.
Related word forms
How demean is actually used
The dominant modern sense is transitive and often reflexive ('demean oneself'), carrying strongly negative connotations of self-abasement or indignity. The older sense meaning 'to behave' survives chiefly in the derived noun 'demeanor' and in formal or literary usage; outside those contexts it may strike readers as archaic.
Easily confused with demean
Demeanor is a noun meaning a person's outward behavior or manner, while demean is a verb meaning to degrade someone or, archaically, to behave in a certain way.