Emasculate
verb
To remove the male characteristics from something or make it less strong or effective.
The new regulations have emasculated the committee and undermined its authority.
Often appears as...
- emasculate the power
- emasculate the role
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
Academic
verb
To physically castrate a man or male animal.
In ancient times, some rulers would emasculate their slaves for various reasons.
Often appears as...
- emasculate the male
- emasculate a horse
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
Historical
verb
To remove the male characteristics from something or make it less strong or effective.
The new regulations have emasculated the committee and undermined its authority.
Often appears as...
- emasculate the power
- emasculate the role
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
Academic
verb
To physically castrate a man or male animal.
In ancient times, some rulers would emasculate their slaves for various reasons.
Often appears as...
- emasculate the male
- emasculate a horse
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
Historical
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Figurative Use
Often used metaphorically to describe reducing power or effectiveness.
The strict regulations emasculated the company's innovative potential.
Pro Tip 2/3Political Context
Common in discussions about legislative power or authority.
Some argue that the law emasculates police forces.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Sensitivity
Be aware that 'emasculate' can be sensitive if it implies weakness is linked to a lack of masculinity.
Critics felt the article emasculated professional dancers.
Pro Tip 1/3Figurative Use
Often used metaphorically to describe reducing power or effectiveness.
The strict regulations emasculated the company's innovative potential.
Pro Tip 2/3Political Context
Common in discussions about legislative power or authority.
Some argue that the law emasculates police forces.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Sensitivity
Be aware that 'emasculate' can be sensitive if it implies weakness is linked to a lack of masculinity.
Critics felt the article emasculated professional dancers.
Pro Tip 1/3Figurative Use
Often used metaphorically to describe reducing power or effectiveness.
The strict regulations emasculated the company's innovative potential.
Pro Tip 2/3Political Context
Common in discussions about legislative power or authority.
Some argue that the law emasculates police forces.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Sensitivity
Be aware that 'emasculate' can be sensitive if it implies weakness is linked to a lack of masculinity.
Critics felt the article emasculated professional dancers.
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Video examples
Chimamanda Ngozi...
you have to pretend that you're not, especially in public, otherwise you will emasculate him. But what if we question the premise itself? Why should a woman's success be a threat to a man? What if we decide to simply dispose of that word,
Video examples
Brutal Fight for...
Using razor-sharp teeth he aims for his challenger's testicles. An emasculating bite.
Video examples
Chimamanda Ngozi...
you have to pretend that you're not, especially in public, otherwise you will emasculate him. But what if we question the premise itself? Why should a woman's success be a threat to a man? What if we decide to simply dispose of that word,
Video examples
Brutal Fight for...
Using razor-sharp teeth he aims for his challenger's testicles. An emasculating bite.
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
June Whitfield
English Actress
Men have been domesticated, and I don't think it's necessarily good for them. They have been emasculated with the pill and women becoming more independent. I do think it's made a big difference for women to have more charge of their own bodies. It's made them feel more on equal terms and made the men feel less secure, less the master of everything.
Quote examples
Kevin Bacon
American Actor
I think of being an actor as kind of a young man's gig. It's emasculating, in a way, people messing with you and putting make-up on you and telling you when to wake up and when to go to sleep, holding your hand to cross the street. I can do it up to a certain point, and then I start to feel like a puppet.
Quote examples
Jim Norton
American Comedian
I choose to believe that we are addicted to the rush of being offended, the idea of it, rather than believing we have become a nation of emasculated children whose only defense against an abyss of emotional agony is a trigger warning.
Quote examples
Jessica White
American Model
I want a man who isn't questioning who he is. I want a man to be able to stand next to me and not disappear and not be emasculated by my success.
Quote examples
Jemele Hill
American Journalist
Too often, black athletes are presented as angry, overly aggressive and overly sexual. Or sometimes, they're just plain emasculated.
Quote examples
Ridley Scott
British Director
I think there are a lot of men who feel they're being emasculated by having the woman be in charge; I've never had that problem.
Quote examples
Karen Armstrong
English Writer
Compassion doesn't, of course, mean feeling sorry for people, or pity, which is how the word has become emasculated in a way.
Quote examples
Hanna Rosin
Israeli Author
If my own current husband was suddenly a stay-at-home dad, it would be emasculating. That would be hard for me.
Quote examples
Rachel Bloom
American Actress
For lack of a better word, I've let love and infatuation emasculate me.
Quote examples
Patrick Wilson
American Actor
Emasculation does seem to be a theme in the roles that I choose.
Quote examples
June Whitfield
English Actress
Men have been domesticated, and I don't think it's necessarily good for them. They have been emasculated with the pill and women becoming more independent. I do think it's made a big difference for women to have more charge of their own bodies. It's made them feel more on equal terms and made the men feel less secure, less the master of everything.
Quote examples
Kevin Bacon
American Actor
I think of being an actor as kind of a young man's gig. It's emasculating, in a way, people messing with you and putting make-up on you and telling you when to wake up and when to go to sleep, holding your hand to cross the street. I can do it up to a certain point, and then I start to feel like a puppet.
Quote examples
Jim Norton
American Comedian
I choose to believe that we are addicted to the rush of being offended, the idea of it, rather than believing we have become a nation of emasculated children whose only defense against an abyss of emotional agony is a trigger warning.
Quote examples
Jessica White
American Model
I want a man who isn't questioning who he is. I want a man to be able to stand next to me and not disappear and not be emasculated by my success.
Quote examples
Jemele Hill
American Journalist
Too often, black athletes are presented as angry, overly aggressive and overly sexual. Or sometimes, they're just plain emasculated.
Quote examples
Ridley Scott
British Director
I think there are a lot of men who feel they're being emasculated by having the woman be in charge; I've never had that problem.
Quote examples
Karen Armstrong
English Writer
Compassion doesn't, of course, mean feeling sorry for people, or pity, which is how the word has become emasculated in a way.
Quote examples
Hanna Rosin
Israeli Author
If my own current husband was suddenly a stay-at-home dad, it would be emasculating. That would be hard for me.
Quote examples
Rachel Bloom
American Actress
For lack of a better word, I've let love and infatuation emasculate me.
Quote examples
Patrick Wilson
American Actor
Emasculation does seem to be a theme in the roles that I choose.
Example 1 of 10
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