What does humiliation mean?
Humiliation is the experience or condition of being made to feel ashamed, inferior, or deprived of dignity. It may arise from public disgrace, cruel treatment, failure, or the loss of status, and it can refer both to what another person or institution does and to the painful feelings that follow. The word often carries a strong sense of lowered esteem and emotional mortification, although modern usage can also be less severe, as in ordinary embarrassment or discouragement. Its Latin roots connect it with humility and the idea of being made low or brought down. Although the term can describe genuine degrading conduct, it is also sometimes used more broadly for experiences that leave someone feeling humiliated. In formal writing, it is especially appropriate for describing an event that profoundly damages a person's dignity or standing.
nounThe state of being subjected to humiliation, often involving shame, loss of dignity, or public disgrace. It can also refer to an event or experience that causes such feelings.
- The act of humiliating someone or the state of being subjected to shame, degradation, or loss of dignity.
- A feeling of intense shame and mortification caused by being treated as inferior or exposed to disgrace.
"The humiliation of being publicly blamed for a mistake he had not made left him speechless."
"The defeat was so complete that the team experienced a deep sense of humiliation."
"She spoke about the humiliation she had endured after the accusation was made public."
The plural is used for separate instances of humiliation or degrading events.
"She endured years of humiliations before finding the courage to leave."
Humiliation comes from the same Latin root as humility: to be brought low, whether socially or emotionally.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does humiliation come from?
The word entered Middle English through Old French, ultimately deriving from Latin humiliare, a form of humilis meaning “low,” “humble,” or “base.” Its historical sense referred to bringing someone down from a position of dignity or authority. The same Latin root underlies words such as humble, humility, and humiliate.
Related word forms
How humiliation is actually used
The word is commonly used for personal, public, or institutional experiences that undermine someone's dignity or self-respect. It can describe either the treatment received or the resulting feeling.
Easily confused with humiliation
Humiliation is the state or experience of being degraded or disgraced, while humiliate is the verb describing the action of causing that treatment.
Humiliation concerns shame or degradation, whereas humidity refers to the amount of moisture in the air.