Dictionary
undermine
verb un·der·mine \ˌən-dər-ˈmīn\
: to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way
Full Definition of UNDERMINE
transitive verb
2
: to wash away supporting material from under
3
: to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly <trying to undermine his political rivals>
4
: to weaken or ruin by degrees
See undermine defined for English-language learners
See undermine defined for kids
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First Known Use of UNDERMINE
14th century
Synonym Discussion of UNDERMINE
weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, cripple, disable mean to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor. weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power <a disease that weakens the body's defenses> . enfeeble implies an obvious and pitiable condition of weakness and helplessness <enfeebled by starvation>. debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality <the debilitating effects of surgery>. undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously <a poor diet undermines your health> <drugs had sapped his ability to think>. cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element <crippled by arthritis>. disable suggests a usually sudden crippling or enfeebling <disabled soldiers received an immediate discharge>.
Rhymes with UNDERMINE
aerodyne, agate line, alkaline, androgyne, anodyne, anticline, Apennine, aquiline, argentine, asinine, auld lang syne, Aventine, Ballantyne, balloon vine, battle line, borderline, bottom-line, Byzantine, calamine, calcimine, Caroline, catarrhine, Catiline, celandine, centerline, cisalpine, claymore mine, clementine, colubrine, columbine, Columbine, concubine, conga line, contour line, Coppermine, coralline, countermine, countersign, credit line, crystalline, cytokine, dessert wine, disincline, dollar sign, down-the-line, draw the line, eglantine, endocrine, equal sign, Esquiline, exocrine, fescennine, finish line, firing line, Florentine, gas turbine, genuine, gregarine, infantine, interline, intertwine, iodine, Johannine, knotty pine, leonine, Levantine, Liechtenstein, limber pine, lubber line, minus sign, monkeyshine, morning line, muscadine, on deadline, on the line, opaline, palatine, Palatine, Palestine, party line, passerine, picket line, porcupine, psittacine, realign, redefine, redesign, riverine, saccharine, sapphirine, saturnine, second-line, serpentine, service line, sibylline, Siegfried line, sixty-nine, sounding line, subalpine, sparkling wine, static line, steam turbine, story line, table wine, Theatine, three-point line, timberline, toe the line, transalpine, Tridentine, turnverein, turpentine, underline, Ursuline, uterine, valentine, vespertine, viperine, vulturine, waterline, wind turbine, worry line
UNDERMINE Defined for Kids
undermine
verb un·der·mine \ˌən-dər-ˈmīn\
un·der·minedun·der·min·ing
Definition of UNDERMINE for Kids
1
: to dig out or wear away the supporting earth beneath <Erosion undermined the wall.>
2
: to weaken secretly or little by little <Their criticisms undermine my confidence.>
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