dehumanising

Treating as objects

Dehumanising describes treatment or depiction that strips people of their humanity, reducing them to objects, animals, or abstractions.

Propaganda that dehumanises enemies makes violence easier to justify.

Conditions can be dehumanising: The prisoners endured dehumanising treatment.

The spelling with -s- is British; American English uses dehumanizing.

cruelty

brutal

Savagely harsh or severe

cruelWillfully causing suffering
heartlessLacking pity or mercy
callousCruelly insensitive to others

barbaric · savage · merciless · pitiless · cold-blooded · sadistic · vicious · monstrous · atrocious · bestial

degradation

objectify

Treat as mere thing

degradeLower in standing
debaseLower in quality
demeanLower in standing

humiliate · reduce · commodify · depersonalize · devalue · disrespect · shame · stigmatize · vilify · denigrate

exclusion

marginalize

Treat as insignificant

ostracizeExclude from a group
segregateSeparate by category
alienateCause emotional distance

isolate · otherize · reject · exile · banish · shun · outcast · deport · ghettoize · disenfranchise

belittlement

belittle

To make something seem unimportant

demeanLower in standing
disparageExpress low opinion of
patronizeAct superior toward

condescend · trivialize · diminish · mock · ridicule · deride · scorn · disdain · dismiss · infantilize

Opposites

recognition of humanity

dehumanisinghumanising

Making more relatable

dignifying · humanizing · affirming · respectful · honoring

moral treatment

dehumanisingrespectful

Showing proper regard

dignified · honoring · honouring · compassionate · caring

empowerment vs diminishment

dehumanisingempowering

Giving authority or confidence

liberating · enabling · elevating · life-affirming · emancipating

Family

human, humane, humanity, inhuman, humanitarian, inhumane, inhumanity, humanism, humanist

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG-13