Making someone feel ashamed, embarrassed, or lose respect in front of others.
From Latin 'humilis,' meaning low or lowly, from 'humus' (ground/earth). The meaning evolved from physical lowering to causing emotional shame.
The word literally means 'bringing someone to the ground'—same root as 'humus' (soil)—so to humiliate is to metaphorically push someone down to earth, which is why public humiliation feels like such a primal form of harm.
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