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- Dictionaryundermine/ˌʌndəˈmʌɪn/
verb
- 1. erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation): "the flow of water had undermined pillars supporting the roof" Similar Opposite
- 2. lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously: "this could undermine years of hard work" Similar Opposite
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to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually: The president has accused two cabinet members of working secretly to undermine his position /him. Criticism just undermines their confidence. Fewer examples.
1. : to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly. trying to undermine his political rivals. 2. : to weaken or ruin by degrees. 3. : to wash away supporting material from under. 4. : to excavate the earth beneath : form a mine under : sap. Choose the Right Synonym for undermine.
If you undermine someone's efforts or undermine their chances of achieving something, you behave in a way that makes them less likely to succeed. The continued fighting threatens to undermine efforts to negotiate an agreement.
To undermine literally means to dig a hole underneath something, making it likely to collapse. But we more often use the word to describe sabotage or the act of weakening someone else's efforts. Originally spelled with a ‘y’ instead of an ‘i’, undermine has Germanic roots and means "to weaken, hinder, or impair."
undermine something to make something weaker at the base, for example by digging under it. Definition of undermine verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
1. If you undermine something such as a feeling or a system, you make it less strong or less secure than it was before, often by a gradual process or by repeated efforts. [...] 2. If you undermine someone or undermine their position or authority, you make their authority or position less secure, often by indirect methods. [...] 3.
If you undermine something such as a feeling or a system, you make it less strong or less secure than it was before, often by a gradual process or by repeated efforts. Offering advice on each and every problem will undermine her feeling of being adult.
1 undermine something to make something, especially someone's confidence or authority, gradually weaker or less effective Our confidence in the team has been seriously undermined by their recent defeats. This crisis has undermined his position. Recent changes have undermined teachers' morale.
There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun undermine, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. undermine has developed meanings and uses in subjects including. military (early 1500s) navy (late 1600s)
to make someone less confident or make something weaker: A series of scandals have undermined people's confidence in the government. (Definition of undermine from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Translations of undermine. in Chinese (Traditional) （常指逐漸地）削弱信心、權威等，損害… See more. in Chinese (Simplified)
