undermine

un·der·mine

 (ŭn′dər-mīn′)

tr.v. un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing, un·der·mines

1. To weaken by wearing away a base or foundation: Water has undermined the stone foundations.

2. To weaken, injure, or impair, often by degrees or imperceptibly; sap: Late hours can undermine one's health.

3. To dig a mine or tunnel beneath.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

undermine

(ˌʌndəˈmaɪn)

vb (tr)

1. (Physical Geography) (of the sea, wind, etc) to wear away the bottom or base of (land, cliffs, etc)

2. to weaken gradually or insidiously: their insults undermined her confidence.

3. to tunnel or dig beneath

ˌunderˈminer n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

un•der•mine

(ˌʌn dərˈmaɪn or, esp. for 1,2,4, ˈʌn dərˌmaɪn)

v.t. -mined, -min•ing.

1. to impair, weaken, or destroy (health, morale, etc.) by imperceptible stages.

2. to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath.

3. to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying supports.

[1300–50]

un′der•min`er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

undermine

Past participle: undermined
Gerund: undermining

Imperative

undermine

undermine

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	undermine - destroy property or hinder normal operations; "The Resistance sabotaged railroad operations during the war" countermine, sabotage, subvert, weaken, counteract derail - cause to run off the tracks; "they had planned to derail the trains that carried atomic waste" disobey - refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient; "He disobeyed his supervisor and was fired"
	2.	undermine - hollow out as if making a cave or opening; "The river was caving the banks" cave core out, hollow out, hollow - remove the interior of; "hollow out a tree trunk" sap - excavate the earth beneath

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

undermine

verb

1. weaken, sabotage, subvert, compromise, disable, debilitate, disempower They are accused of trying to undermine the government.
weaken promote, sustain, strengthen, reinforce, fortify

2. damage, weaken, threaten, hurt, injure, impair, sap, put the kibosh on (informal), throw a spanner in the works of (Brit. informal) This will undermine their chances of success.
damage strengthen, reinforce, fortify, buttress

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

undermine

verb

1. To lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of:

attenuate, debilitate, devitalize, enervate, enfeeble, sap, undo, unnerve, weaken.

2. To damage, destroy, or defeat by sabotage:

sabotage, subvert.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

يُضْعِفيُقَوِّض، يَهْدِم

podemlítpodkopat

nedbrydeunderminere

untergrabenunterminieren

υποσκάπτω

minarsocavar

heikentääsabotoida

minersaper

חתר תחת

aláaknáz

grafa göng undir; grafa undangrafa undan, veikja

indebolireminare

paplauti

grautiedragātizskalotparakties apakšā

underminere

podmyť

altını kazmak/oymakbaltalamakzayıflatmak

侵蚀...的基础削弱...的基础逐渐削弱健康或权力

undermine

[ˌʌndəˈmaɪn] VT (fig) → minar, socavar
his health is being undermined by overwork → el exceso de trabajo le está minando la salud

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

undermine

[ˌʌndə^rˈmaɪn] vt [+ authority, government, confidence, morale, efforts] → saper
to undermine sb's position (= weaken authority) → déstabiliser qn

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

undermine

[ˌʌndəˈmaɪn] vt (fig) → minare; (authority) → pregiudicare

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

undermine

(andəˈmain) verb

1. to make (eg a building) insecure by digging away or destroying the base or foundations. The road was being undermined by a stream. ondergrawe يُقَوِّض، يَهْدِم подкопавам minar podkopat, podemlít untergraben underminere υποσκάπτω, καταστρέφω τα θεμέλια minar alt õõnestama سست کردن kaivaa maata jnk alta miner לַחתוֹר תַחַת असुरक्षित बनाना potkopati aláaknáz mengikis grafa göng undir; grafa undan minare, indebolire 土台をくずす 토대를 허물다 paplauti parakties apakšā; izskalot menghakis ondermijnenundergrave, underminere podkopać لاندنۍ برخه ژورول، په پټه دچا بدنامول، په پټه زيان رسول، كمزوري كول، بې سيكه كول minar a mina подмывать podkopať, podmyť spodkopati potkopati underminera ทำให้กร่อน altını kazmak/oymak 削弱(侵蝕)…基礎 підривати, руйнувати غير محفوظ بنانا đào dưới chân 削弱（侵蚀）...的基础

2. to weaken (eg a person's health or authority). Constant hard work had undermined his health. ondermyn يُضْعِف подронвам enfraquecer podkopat allmählich zerstören nedbryde; underminere υποσκάπτω, υπονομεύωminar kahjustama صدمه زدن heikentää miner לְעַרעֵר दुर्बल बना देना narušiti aláás merongrong grafa undan, veikja minare, indebolire 害する 약화시키다 pakirsti graut; iedragāt melemahkan ondermijnenundergrave podkopać لاندنۍ برخه ژورول minar a submina подрывать podkopať spodkopati narušiti undergräva ทำให้อ่อนแอ zayıflatmak, baltalamak 逐漸削弱(健康或權力) підкошувати کمزور کرنا làm suy yếu 逐渐削弱（健康或权力）

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

undermine

vt. dañar, debilitar.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012