To make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually: The president has accused two cabinet members of working secretly to undermine his position/him. What does it mean to undermine someone's confidence? 3 : to wash away supporting material from under. What does it mean when someone is undermine?ġ : to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly trying to undermine his political rivals. What does it mean to undermine someone?Ī common definition for the term “undermine” is “to erode the base or foundation” or “to weaken or damage (someone or something), especially gradually or insidiously.” So to undermine is to weaken the position, goals, or success of something or someone – with “undermining behavior” in the workplace being the acts of. 🔵 Underpin And Undermine - Underpin Meaning - Undermine Examples - British English PronunciationĪ common definition for the term “undermine” is “to erode the base or foundation” or “to weaken or damage (someone or something), especially gradually or insidiously.” So to undermine is to weaken the position, goals, or success of something or someone – with “undermining behavior” in the workplace being the acts of. undermine someone's credibility (=damage it): Claire knew that to argue any more would only undermine her credibility. The jury had doubts about the credibility of some of the witnesses. qualities that someone has that make people believe or trust them. What does it mean to undermine someone's credibility?ĭEFINITIONS1. If you undermine someone's efforts or undermine their chances of achieving something, you behave in a way that makes them less likely to succeed.
Offering advice on each and every problem will undermine her feeling of being adult. If you undermine something such as a feeling or a system, you make it less strong or less secure than it was before, often by a gradual process or by repeated efforts. What does it mean to undermine someone's feelings? The events of the past year have undermined people's confidence in the government. She tried to undermine my authority by complaining about me to my boss. : to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way. Social undermining is seen in relationships between family members, friends, personal relationships and co-workers. The negative evaluation of the person may involve criticizing their actions, efforts or characteristics. This behavior can often be attributed to certain feelings, such as dislike or anger.
The meanings of cripple and undermine largely overlap however, cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element.Ĭrippled by arthritis When can debilitate be used instead of undermine? While all these words mean "to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor," undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.ĭrugs had sapped his ability to think When is cripple a more appropriate choice than undermine? Some common synonyms of undermine are cripple, debilitate, disable, enfeeble, sap, and weaken. Frequently Asked Questions About undermine How is the word undermine distinct from other similar verbs?
0 kommentar(er)
