to humiliate
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to humiliate
To deliberately degrade, shame, or violate someone's dignity. This often happens in front of other people in order to expose the person concerned.
Der Chef hat ihn vor allen Kollegen wegen eines kleinen Fehlers gedemütigt.
The boss humiliated him in front of all his colleagues because of a small mistake.
The verb 'demütigen' (to humiliate / to humble) is derived from the noun 'die Demut' (humility) and the adjective 'demütig' (humble). It literally means to 'make someone humble'.
Er zeigte große Demut nach seinem Sieg.
He showed great humility after his victory.
The meaning changes completely depending on whether the verb is used reflexively or not. Without 'sich' (oneself), it is a negative action toward another person. With 'sich', it describes a personal, often spiritual attitude.
Er demütigte seinen Gegner nach dem Spiel.
He humiliated his opponent after the game.
In the meaning 'jemanden erniedrigen' (to degrade someone), the verb always needs an accusative object. The structure is: subject (person doing the humiliating) humbles/humiliates object (person being humiliated).
Sie fühlte sich durch seine Worte zutiefst gedemütigt.
She felt deeply humiliated by his words.
The reflexive form 'sich demütigen' (to humble oneself) is often used with the preposition 'vor' (before) and a person or authority in the dative. This expresses respect or submission.
Der Ritter demütigte sich vor seinem König.
The knight humbled himself before his king.
to injure / hurt / violate
'verletzen' and 'demütigen' can both have to do with emotional pain. 'verletzen' is more general: words or actions can make someone sad, disappointed, or offended. 'demütigen' is stronger. It means that someone is deliberately made to feel small, shamed, or attacked in their dignity, often in front of other people. So not every hurtful remark is a humiliation. 'demütigen' fits especially when power, intention, and public exposure play a role.
Der Trainer demütigt den Spieler vor der ganzen Mannschaft.
The coach humiliates the player in front of the whole team.
Bitte verletz deinen Kollegen nicht mit solchen Witzen.
Please don't hurt your colleague with jokes like that.