humillado
/umiˈʝado/
The English phrase "dunked on" can be translated into Spanish as humillado.
While 'dunked on' in English often carries a playful or slang connotation in sports or gaming, humillado in Spanish carries a heavier, more serious weight of shame and loss of dignity.
Which one should you use?
The phrase dejado en evidencia is a more idiomatic way to express being 'dunked on' or having one's incompetence or inferiority exposed publicly.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the person being 'dunked on': use humillado for a male and humillada for a female.
How do you pronounce it?
/umiˈʝado/
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'dunked on' to describe a physical basketball move, a Spaniard might use the phrase dar un palo to describe a crushing defeat. This literally translates to 'to give a stick' and is commonly used when one person completely dominates another in an argument or competition.
- If you use humillado in a professional setting, it may imply a profound loss of social status or honor rather than just a lost game or a joke. In some Latin American cultures, the concept of 'honor' is tied heavily to public perception, making this word feel much more personal than its English counterparts.
- In Spanish, the verb humillar can describe the literal physical act of lowering someone's position, not just the emotional result of being defeated.
Examples in context
- ¡No puedes creer que te comiste ese mate!You can't believe you ate that slam!
- Ese tipo recibió un clavado terrible del jugador estrella.That guy got a terrible dunk from the star player.
- Fue humillado en la competencia de baile.He was dunked on in the dance competition.
- El equipo fue humillado por su rival.The team was dunked on by their rival.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are discussing a video game tournament.
- Javier¿Viste cómo fue humillado el campeón?Did you see how the champion was dunked on?
- ElenaSí, Javier, fue una derrota total.Yes, Javier, it was a total defeat.
- JavierNadie esperaba que perdiera así.No one expected him to lose like that.
- ElenaFue muy vergonzoso para él.It was very embarrassing for him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry humillado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
