区别辨析humble、humiliate、degrade与disgrace

humble、humiliate、degrade与disgrace这些动词均含有“使丢脸、使受耻辱”之意。

humble常可和degrade换用,强调降级所带来的耻辱;也多指自卑和感到渺小无能的心理状态。

  • He was humbled by the child's generosity.
    那个孩子的宽宏大量使他自惭形秽。
  • The world champion was humbled (= unexpectedly defeated) by an unknown outsider in last night's race.
    昨晚比赛中那位世界冠军意外地被一位无名小卒击败。

(拓展学习:熟词僻义 | humble 是一种怎样的击败?

humiliate : 指损伤或剥夺自尊感,损坏自尊心,强调蒙受耻辱。

  • How could you humiliate me by questioning my judgment in front of everyone like that?
    你怎么能那样当众质疑我的判断,让我丢脸?
  • England were humiliated (= completely defeated) in last night's match.
    昨晚的比赛中英格兰队遭遇惨败。

degrade : 指因过失而受到降级、阶格;也多指因自身的境遇而感到耻辱。

  • Pornography degrades women.
    色情作品是对女性的侮辱。
  • A dishonest action like that will degrade you.
    像这样不诚实的行为会使你降低身份。

disgrace : 指降低某人在他人心目中的地位,使其丢脸。

  • They were sent home in disgrace.
    他们被灰溜溜地送回了家里。
  • He brought disgrace on the whole team by falsifying the results.
    他篡改比分的行为让全队丢了脸。