demote
Reduce in standing
To demote is to lower someone in rank, status, or position—the opposite of promote.
An employee might be demoted for poor performance, a military officer for misconduct.
The word extends beyond formal hierarchies: The story was demoted from front page to page six.
Sports teams get demoted to lower divisions; files get demoted to the recycle bin.
Reduce in status
- relegateAssign to inferior position
- lowerReduce or move downward
- reduceMake smaller in degree
- decreaseBecome or make smaller
subordinate · degrade · declass · bump · drop · benching · junior · lesser
Remove from sovereignty
- deposeRemove from authority
- oustRemove from position
- unseatRemove from position
- stripNarrow elongated piece
overthrow · topple · remove · displace · defrock · disbar · cashier · relieve
Allocate to new duties
- transferMove between locations
- repositionMove to new location
- sidelineSecondary business pursuit
- benchShared seating surface
shelve · overlook · pass over · bypass · marginalize · sidetrack · displace · supplant
Sadness from unmet expectations
- humiliationLoss of dignity
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- demoralizationLoss of confidence and hope
- discouragementLoss of confidence
deflation · letdown · setback · blow · dishonor · disgrace · indignity · wounded pride
downgrade
Reduce in status
decrease · subordinate · degrade · declass · bump · drop · benching · junior · lesser · inferior
dethrone
Remove from sovereignty
strip · overthrow · topple · remove · displace · defrock · disbar · cashier · relieve · dismiss
reassign
Allocate to new duties
- transferMove between locations
- repositionMove to new location
- sidelineSecondary business pursuit
bench · shelve · overlook · pass over · bypass · marginalize · sidetrack · displace · supplant · replace
disappointment
Sadness from unmet expectations
- humiliationLoss of dignity
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- demoralizationLoss of confidence and hope
discouragement · deflation · letdown · setback · blow · dishonor · disgrace · indignity · wounded pride · embarrassment
- work verbswork, hire, fire, quit, resign
- warfarebattle, combat, attack, war, armed conflict
- declinedecline, in decline, decrease, downswing, on the decline
- penaltiespenalty, fine, civil penalty, criminal penalty, infractions
- bring downbring down, take down, pull down, tear down, knock down