emasculate
verb
transitive verb
Synonyms
- demoralize
- paralyze
- undo
- unman
- unnerve
- unstring
Example Sentences
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 21 June 2022 As played by Jackson, Kanan is malice personified, a gleeful killer with a hair-trigger temper and a tendency to humiliate and emasculate his foes. Joshua Alston, Variety, 7 Apr. 2022 The idea that Aladdin is self-conscious about being small is not a strong enough game to carry a sketch, and bringing on Cowboys running back Zeke Elliott to emasculate Aladdin throws this immediately off the rails. Alexis Pereira, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2021 When Peter sends an apparently sincere email begging him to visit and hear his apology, though, C.W. finally decides to confront his past — or, at the very least, flaunt his success and emasculate the guy who got the girl. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 June 2021 Asian men have generally been emasculated, demasculinized, and historically, black men have often been over-sexualized, the reverse. Annie Howard, Billboard, 16 May 2019 Both women know that forceful men are all often described as strong and assertive, while forceful women are dismissed as angry, emasculating or hectoring. Charlotte Alter, Time, 21 Nov. 2019 Here is a president who seems not to feel shame but who does seem to fear, more than anything else, appearing weak or emasculated. Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2019 The terms are in and of themselves wrong, but being judged on those terms, there’s a level of shame, of feeling emasculated. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 29 Sep. 2019 See More Word History
Latin emasculatus, past participle of emasculare, from e- + masculus male — more at male
1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
emasculate
transitive verb
Legal Definition
emasculate
transitive verb
emasculate
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- paralyze
- intimidate
- frighten
- terrify
- scare
- demoralize
- unman
- unsettle
- unnerve
- debilitate
- neuter
- undo
- weaken
- unstring
- enfeeble
- terrorize
- discourage
- enervate
- soften
- waste
- dispirit
- dishearten
- disturb
- sap
- daunt
- unhinge
- perturb
- unbalance
- upset
- derange
- prostrate
- tire
- faze
- dismay
- disquiet
- discompose
- psych (out)
- craze
- madden
- weird out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- nerve
- strengthen
- fortify
- encourage
- embolden
- hearten
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of emasculate are enervate, unman, and unnerve. While all these words mean "to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action," emasculate stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential.
While the synonyms enervate and emasculate are close in meaning, enervate suggests a gradual physical or moral weakening (as through luxury or indolence) until one is too feeble to make an effort.
Although the words unman and emasculate have much in common, unman implies a loss of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit.
The meanings of unnerve and emasculate largely overlap; however, unnerve implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act.