语境：PUA，通过言语或行为贬低别人的价值和自尊。
01. put someone down
表示to make someone feel silly or not important by criticizing them，批评奚落某人，言语上打击打压某人。
He's always putting people down to make himself feel better.
他总是贬低别人来抬高自己。
情景记忆：
You're such an idiot. How can you not get something so simple?
你真是个白痴。这么简单的道理都不懂？
Oh, that's exactly how I would've done it—if I wanted it to fail.
哦，我也会这么做——要是我想把事情搞砸的话。
02. belittle/disparage someone
belittle /bɪˈlɪtl/ 及物动词，表示to make someone or something seem small or unimportant，贬低，把某人某事说得好像一点都不重要，平平无奇。
同义词是disparage /dɪˈspærɪdʒ/，不过disparage更加正式。
Does your boss always belittle what you do for the team?
你的上司总是贬低你对团队的贡献吗？
Her parents always disparaged her achievements. That was their way of "motivating" her.
她的父母总是贬低她的成就，他们觉得这样能“激励”她。
情景记忆：
Your ideas are always ridiculous, just stop suggesting anything.
你的想法总是很荒谬，别再提任何建议了。
I don't know why you're so proud of that. It wasn't even that hard. I could have done it better.
我不知道你为什么这么自豪。这又没什么难度。要是我的话还能做得更好。
03. degrade/demean someone
degrade /dɪˈɡreɪd/ 表示to treat someone without respect and make them lose respect for themselves，羞辱侮辱、用不尊重的态度对待某人，让他们显得不值得被尊重。
同义词是demean /dɪˈmiːn/。形容词形式是degrading，demeaning。这两个动词也经常加oneself，表示某人做出有损自己身份或人格尊严的事。
The director says he never intended to degrade/demean women in his movies.
导演说他没有在电影中贬低女性的意思。
I wouldn't degrade/demean myself by begging him for a job.
我才不会自降身份，去求他给我一份工作。
情景记忆：
Maybe you should just stick to what you're good at—like cooking and cleaning.
要不你还是继续做擅长的事吧，比如做饭和打扫卫生。
You're pretty smart for a girl; I didn't expect that.
作为一个女孩子，你还挺聪明的；真没想到。
If you had any ambition, you'd be making more by now.
你要是有点上进心，现在就不会只挣这么一点了。
04. undermine someone's confidence
undermine /ʌndəˈmaɪn/ 及物动词，表示to gradually make someone or something less strong or effective，逐渐削弱，可以替换成weaken /'wiːkən/，“削弱”，erode /ɪ'rəʊd/，“逐渐侵蚀，削弱”。
confidence (自信)也可以替换成近义词self-esteem /self ɪˈstiːm/、self-worth，“自尊自爱，自我价值感”。
Her parents' constant criticism was undermining her confidence.
父母持续的批评逐渐消磨了她的自信心。
情景记忆：
I can't believe you messed that up again. You really can't do anything right.
真不敢相信你又搞砸了。你真是什么都做不好。
No one else would want to be with someone like you.
没人想和你这样的人在一起。
05. make someone feel inferior
inferior /ɪnˈfɪəriə(r)/ 表示not as good as somebody/something else，“比别人差的”。
inferior可以替换成其他形容词，比如worthless，“没用的，一无是处的”，unimportant，“不重要的”，inadequate/ɪn'ædɪkwət/表示not enough; not good enough，“不够好的”。
If you're always comparing your children to others, you might make them feel inadequate.
如果你总是拿自己的孩子与他人比较，可能会让他们觉得自己不如别人。
情景记忆：
Why can't you be more like your brother/sister?
你怎么就不能学学你哥/姐？
Why can't you be more like my ex? Sometimes I wonder why I'm with you.
为什么你不能更像我的前任那样？有时候我都不明白我为什么要和你在一起。
根据首字母补充单词，选中文本可查看答案。
He's always putting people down to make himself feel better.
他总是贬低别人来抬高自己。
Her parents always disparaged her achievements. That was their way of "motivating" her.
她的父母总是贬低她的成就，他们觉得这样能激励她。
The director says he never intended to degrade/demean women in his movies.
导演说他没有在电影中贬低女性的意思。
Her parents' constant criticism was undermining her confidence.
父母持续的批评逐渐消磨了她的自信心。
If you're always comparing your children to others, you might make them feel inadequate.
如果你总是拿自己的孩子与他人比较，可能会让他们觉得自己不如别人。
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推文说明：
这系列推文主要分享那些中文里常说、换成英语就不太会讲的话。每天早晨8点更新。