umiliare
/u.miˈlja.re/
To humiliate in Italian is to say umiliare. If unsure, use umiliare. Wiktionary also lists avvilire.
Meaning: to injure a person's dignity and self-respect (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| umiliare | /u.miˈlja.re/ |
| avvilire | /av.viˈli.re/ |
The verb is used to describe the act of injuring a person's dignity and self-respect. Related forms include the adjective umiliante (humiliating) and the noun umiliazione (humiliation).
Which one should you use?
While umiliare focuses on causing shame or loss of dignity, avvilire is often used in more formal contexts to mean debasing someone's character or making their efforts seem worthless.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable. The IPA is /u.miˈlja.re/.
Did you know?
- The word umiliare shares its root with the Latin 'humus', meaning 'ground' or 'earth'. Historically, to humiliate someone was to metaphorically bring them down to the dirt.
- While umiliare is common, Italians might use the phrase fare fare una figura barbara to describe a situation that is socially humiliating or embarrassing.
- The formal alternative avvilire shares a root with the English word 'vile'. While umiliare is about shame, avvilire is about stripping away someone's value.
Examples in context
- Non ti volevo umiliare.I didn't want to humiliate you.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of intent to humiliate the person being addressed using umiliare.Tatoeba #5902984 by Guybrush88, translation #2968820 by AlanF_US
- Non la volevo umiliare.I didn't want to humiliate her.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of intent to humiliate a female using umiliare.Tatoeba #5902986 by Guybrush88, translation #3914651 by CH
- Non lo volevo umiliare.I didn't want to humiliate him.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of intent to humiliate a male using umiliare.Tatoeba #5987364 by Guybrush88, translation #3914650 by CH
- La pubblicazione di quelle foto mi ha svergognato di fronte a tutti.The publication of those photos humiliated me in front of everyone.
- Mi hanno fatto fare la figura dello scemo davanti a tutti.They made me make a fool of myself in front of everyone.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are discussing a difficult coworker at the office.
- MatteoQuel capo cerca sempre di umiliare i dipendenti.That boss always tries to humiliate the employees.
- ChiaraÈ un comportamento davvero inaccettabile.It is truly unacceptable behavior.
- MatteoSì, non deve umiliare nessuno in pubblico.Yes, he must not humiliate anyone in public.
- ChiaraHai ragione, deve trattarci con rispetto.You are right, he must treat us with respect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “humiliate” translations and entries umiliare, avvilire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avvilire, umiliare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
