DEHUMANIZE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does dehumanize mean? 

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

1. deprive of human qualities

2. make mechanical or routine

  Familiarity information: DEHUMANIZE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEHUMANIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they dehumanize    ... he / she / it dehumanizes   
Past simple: dehumanized   
Past participle: dehumanized   
-ing form: dehumanizing   

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 "dehumanize" is one way to...):

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

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Antonym:

humanize (make more humane)

Derivation:

dehumanization (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 "dehumanize" is one way to...):

mechanise; mechanize (make mechanical)

Sentence frames:

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