Undermining

Pronunciation: /ˌʌndərˈmaɪnɪŋ/

Definitions of undermining

verb to weaken or damage gradually, often secretly or insidiously

Example Sentences

A1 Bullying is a form of undermining someone's confidence.

A2 Gossiping about others can be a way of undermining their reputation.

B1 Spreading false information is a tactic used for undermining the competition.

B2 The political scandal had the effect of undermining public trust in the government.

C1 The CEO's unethical behavior was seen as undermining the company's values and goals.

C2 The leaked emails revealed a deliberate campaign aimed at undermining the credibility of the opposition leader.

Examples of undermining in a Sentence

formal The constant criticism from the manager was seen as undermining the team's confidence.

informal Stop spreading rumors, you're just undermining your own credibility.

slang She's always throwing shade at her friends, constantly undermining their achievements.

figurative The weeds in the garden are undermining the growth of the flowers, just like negative thoughts can undermine your success.

Grammatical Forms of undermining

• past tense: undermined
• plural: underminings
• comparative: more undermining
• superlative: most undermining
• present tense: undermines
• future tense: will undermine
• perfect tense: have undermined
• continuous tense: is undermining
• singular: undermining
• positive degree: undermining
• infinitive: to undermine
• gerund: undermining
• participle: undermining

Origin and Evolution of undermining

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'undermining' originated from the Old English word 'undermyngian', which means to dig underneath or weaken the foundation of something.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'undermining' has evolved to not only refer to physically digging underneath something, but also metaphorically undermining someone's authority or position.