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BNC: 22692 COCA: 17616

demean

1 ENTRIES FOUND:
demean /dɪˈmiːn/ verb
demeans; demeaned; demeaning
demean
/dɪˈmiːn/
verb
demeans; demeaned; demeaning
Learner's definition of DEMEAN
[+ object]
: to cause (someone or something) to seem less important or less worthy of respect贬低;贬损;有损…的尊严

— demeaning

adjective [more demeaning; most demeaning]
BNC: 22692 COCA: 17616

demean

1 of 2

verb (1)

de·​mean di-ˈmēn How to pronounce demean (audio)
demeaned; demeaning

transitive verb

: to lower in character, status, or reputation
careful not to demean his opponent
demeaning the seriousness of the problem

demean

2 of 2

verb (2)

demeaned; demeaning

transitive verb

: to conduct or behave (oneself) usually in a proper manner
… he might have been observed to demean himself as a person with nothing to do … Henry James †1916

Did you know?

There are two words spelled demean in English. The more familiar demean—"to lower in character, status, or reputation"—comes straight from mean, the adjective that means "spiteful." The other demean comes from the Anglo-French verb demener ("to conduct"), which in turn comes from Latin minare, meaning "to drive." This verb has been with us since the 14th century and is generally used in contexts (especially formal ones) specifying a type of behavior: "he demeaned himself in a most unfriendly manner"; "she demeaned herself as befitting her station in life"; "they knew not how to demean themselves in the king's presence." As you may have already guessed, the noun demeanor, meaning "behavior," comes from this demean.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

de- + mean entry 2, probably after debase

Verb (2)

Middle English demenen, demeynen "to rule, control, decide, arrange, keep within bounds, moderate, behave (in a certain way), conduct (oneself)," borrowed from Anglo-French demein-, tonic stem of demener "to lead, guide, carry on, subject to, treat, agitate," (intransitive) "to strive, thrash about," (reflexive) "to behave" (also continental Old & Middle French), from de- de- + mener "to lead, bring," going back to Latin mināre "to push, impel (an animal forward)," active form of the deponent verb minārī "to threaten" — more at minatory

Note: The verb mināre "to impel, drive (an animal)" is marginally attested in later classical Latin but more fully in Late Latin; in the Vulgate the object can also be human or inanimate. In early medieval Latin the notion "drive" shifted to "lead," a sense continued by Romance descendants of mināre (as French mener, Upper Engadine Romansh mner, Italian menare, Occitan & Catalan menar). The Old French prefixed derivative demener displays a wide array of meanings, which in part were passed through Anglo-French to Middle English demenen. The verbs in the modern languages—French démener, English demean—retain few of these meanings.

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1601, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of demean was in the 14th century
BNC: 22692 COCA: 17616

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