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- DictionaryUn·der·mine/ˌəndərˈmīn/
verb
- 1. erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation): "the flow of water had undermined pillars supporting the roof"
- 2. lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously: "this could undermine years of hard work"
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.
UNDERMINE definition: 1. to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something…. Learn more.
UNDERMINE meaning: 1. to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something…. Learn more.
to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth. to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.
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.
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.
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.
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)
Undermine Definition. To wear away and weaken the supports of. Erosion is undermining the wall. To dig beneath; excavate ground from under, so as to form a tunnel or mine. To injure, weaken, or impair, esp. by subtle, stealthy, or insidious means.
See synonyms for undermine on Thesaurus.com verb (used with object), un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing. to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.
