Workplace Harassment Vocabulary

verb to cause someone to feel ashamed or foolish by injuring their dignity and self-respect

• The professor humiliated the student in front of the entire class for not completing the assignment.
• She felt humiliated when her friends made fun of her in public.
• He got humiliated by his crush when he tried to ask her out.
• Losing the game in such a way was a humiliating experience for the team.

noun a severe scolding or verbal attack

verb to scold or criticize harshly

• The politician received a tongue lash from the opposition during the debate.
• She gave him a good tongue lashing for forgetting their anniversary.
• The teacher's tongue lash was brutal after catching the students cheating on the test.
• The harsh criticism felt like a tongue lash to his ego.