emasculate
Deprive of strength
To emasculate is to deprive of masculine qualities or vigor.
The literal meaning is to castrate, but the word almost always appears figuratively: an emasculated bureaucracy, emasculated leadership.
To emasculate a man is to make him feel less manly, often through domination or criticism: She emasculated him in front of his friends.
The word carries assumptions about what masculinity should look like.
Bring under dominion
- subdueBring under control
- suppressForcibly put an end to
- dominateControl through superior strength
- oppressUnjustly burden or dominate
subordinate · disenfranchise · marginalize · silence · defang · declaw · neuter · unman
To make weak
- enfeebleMake feeble or frail
- sapPlant circulatory fluid
- undermineWeaken by stealth
- impairTo diminish or damage
diminish · enervate · devitalize · drain · erode · deplete · attenuate · disable
Remove fertility surgically
- geldCastrate male animal
- sterilizeEliminate all microorganisms
- caponizeCastrate a cockerel
- desexSurgically render infertile
fix · alter · spay · eunuch · gelding · castration · neutering · orchidectomy
Lower in standing
- belittleTo make something seem unimportant
- degradeLower in standing
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- disgraceLoss of honor
dishonor · diminish · demoralize · humble · deflate · cut down · put down · unmanning
Adult male status
- virilityMasculine strength and potency
- manlinessMasculine character traits
- machismoExcessive masculine pride
- virilePowerfully masculine
unmanning · effeminize · feminize · manly · gender roles · patriarchy
subjugate
Bring under dominion
oppress · subordinate · disenfranchise · marginalize · silence · defang · declaw · neuter · unman
debilitate
To make weak
impair · diminish · enervate · devitalize · drain · erode · deplete · attenuate · disable · cripple
neuter
Remove fertility surgically
desex · fix · alter · spay · eunuch · gelding · castration · neutering · orchidectomy · vasectomy
demean
Lower in standing
disgrace · dishonor · diminish · demoralize · humble · deflate · cut down · put down · unmanning
manhood
Adult male status
- virilityMasculine strength and potency
- manlinessMasculine character traits
- machismoExcessive masculine pride
virile · unmanning · effeminize · feminize · manly · gender roles · patriarchy
emasculatestrengthen
Make more robust
fortify · empower · invigorate · vitalize · bolster
emasculation, emasculated, emasculating, emasculates, emasculations