DEHUMANISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dehumanise mean? 

• DEHUMANISE (verb)
  The verb DEHUMANISE has 2 senses:

1. deprive of human qualities

2. make mechanical or routine

  Familiarity information: DEHUMANISE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEHUMANISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they dehumanise    ... he / she / it dehumanises   
Past simple: dehumanised   
Past participle: dehumanised   
-ing form: dehumanising   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Deprive of human qualities

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

dehumanise; dehumanize

Context example:

Life in poverty has dehumanized them

Hypernyms (to "dehumanise" is one way to...):

degrade; demean; disgrace; put down; take down (reduce in worth or character, usually verbally)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

dehumanisation (the act of degrading people with respect to their best qualities)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make mechanical or routine

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

dehumanise; dehumanize

Hypernyms (to "dehumanise" is one way to...):

mechanise; mechanize (make mechanical)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something