undermine
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++un·der·mine /ˌʌndəˈmaɪn $ -ər-/ ●●○ verb [transitive] SPOILto gradually make someone or something less strong or effective 逐渐削弱[损害] economic policies that threaten to undermine the health care system 可能会损害医疗保健制度的经济政策undermine somebody’s confidence/authority/position/credibility etc The constant criticism was beginning to undermine her confidence. 不断的批评开始削弱她的信心了。► see thesaurus at spoil→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
undermine• These should be laid on the gravel to form a sound base which the fish can not undermine.• Alas, his careful pacing and the stars' restrained performances are undermined by a tell-all trailer and an uneven script.• Unfair criticism can undermine employees' self-confidence.• The US was accused of undermining international efforts to combat global warming.• Local authorities and trade unions will need to respond to gratuitous fault finding and undermining of political leadership.• The kidnappings undermined several months of delicate peace negotiations.• Losing the witness will seriously undermine the government's case against Jones.• Inflation has undermined the legitimacy of the market order.• Paradoxically, it has not even been able to undermine the relative economic stability of the imperialist countries.• The suspension of an integral part of the Convention undermines their expectations.• Relying on math formulas or drills in class, the study suggests, bores many students and undermines their performance.un·der·mine verbChineseSyllable
or strong less or someone Corpus something to make gradually
undermine
un‧der‧mine /ˌʌndəˈmaɪn $ -ər-/
verb [transitive]
to gradually make someone or something less strong or effective:
economic policies that threaten to undermine the health care system
undermine sb’s confidence/authority/position/credibility etc
The constant criticism was beginning to undermine her confidence.
▪ spoil to have a bad effect on something so that it is much less attractive, enjoyable etc: New housing developments are spoiling the countryside. | The bad weather completely spoiled our holiday.
▪ruin to spoil something completely and permanently: Using harsh soap to wash your face can ruin your skin. | The argument ruined the evening for me.
▪mar written to spoil something by making it less attractive or enjoyable: His handsome Arab features were marred by a long scar across his face. | Outbreaks of fighting marred the New Year celebrations.
▪detract from something to slightly spoil something that is generally very good, beautiful, or impressive: The huge number of tourists rather detracts from the city’s appeal. | There were a few minor irritations, but this did not detract from our enjoyment of the holiday.
▪undermine to spoil something that you have been trying to achieve: The bombings undermined several months of careful negotiations.
▪sour to spoil a friendly relationship between people or countries: The affair has soured relations between the UK and Russia.
▪poison to spoil a close relationship completely, so that people can no longer trust each other: Their marriage was poisoned by a terrible dark secret.
▪mess something up informal to spoil something important or something that has been carefully planned: If there’s any delay, it will mess up our whole schedule.
un‧der‧mine /ˌʌndəˈmaɪn $ -ər-/
verb [transitive]to gradually make someone or something less strong or effective:
undermine sb’s confidence/authority/position/credibility etc
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