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Undermine: meaning, definitions and examples

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undermine

 

[ ˌʌndərˈmaɪn ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

destroy confidence or trust

To undermine means to damage or weaken someone's confidence, trust, or authority. It can also refer to the act of digging or making a hole underneath something, causing it to become less stable.

Synonyms

erode, sabotage, subvert, weaken

Examples of usage

  • The constant criticism began to undermine her self-esteem.
  • The leaked information undermined the company's reputation.
Context #2 | Verb

to weaken the base or foundation

In a literal sense, to undermine can mean to dig beneath the base or foundation of a structure, causing it to become unstable and potentially collapse.

Synonyms

erode, undercut, weaken

Examples of usage

  • The heavy rain undermined the walls of the old castle.

Translations

Translations of the word "undermine" in other languages:

🇵🇹 minar

🇮🇳 कमज़ोर करना

🇩🇪 untergraben

🇮🇩 merongrong

🇺🇦 підривати

🇵🇱 podkopywać

🇯🇵 損なう (そこなう)

🇫🇷 saper

🇪🇸 socavar

🇹🇷 zayıflatmak

🇰🇷 약화시키다 (yakwassikida)

🇸🇦 تقويض (taqwidh)

🇨🇿 podkopávat

🇸🇰 podkopávať

🇨🇳 削弱 (xuēruò)

🇸🇮 podkopa(va)ti

🇮🇸 grafa undan

🇰🇿 әлсірету (älsiretu)

🇬🇪 შერყევა (sherkveva)

🇦🇿 zəiflətmək

🇲🇽 socavar

Etymology

The word 'undermine' originated from the combination of 'under' and 'mine', with 'mine' meaning to dig or excavate. It has been used in English since the late 14th century. Initially, it was mainly associated with the physical act of digging beneath something. Over time, its meaning expanded to include the figurative sense of weakening or damaging someone's confidence or trust.

See also: mine, miner, mining, underminer, undermining.

Word Frequency Rank

Position #8,892 indicates this is an advanced-level word. While not essential for basic communication, it will enhance your ability to understand and create more nuanced content.