victimize — to treat someone unfairly or make them suffer, especially by taking advantage of their weakness
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to treat someone unfairly or make them suffer, especially by taking advantage of their weakness
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈvɪktɪˌmaɪz/
Example Sentences
- The school principal promised not to victimize students who report bullying.
- My cat seems to victimize my houseplants every morning like they owe him money.
- The new law aims to protect workers from being victimized by their employers.
victimize
VERB[/ˈvɪktɪˌmaɪz/]
to treat someone unfairly or make them suffer, especially by taking advantage of their weakness
to treat someone unfairly or make them suffer, especially by taking advantage of their weakness
Recognize who they victimize, then criticize!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin victima, originally denoting a sacrificial offering presented to the gods in ancient Rome. The meaning evolved from the literal sense of a sacrificial victim to the modern usage describing the act of making someone a scapegoat or target of mistreatment.
Breakdown
victim (from Latin victima, a sacrificial offering or person harmed) + -ize (suffix forming verbs meaning 'to make' or 'to treat as'), creating the verb 'to treat as a victim or scapegoat'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The school principal promised not to victimize students who report bullying.”
“My cat seems to victimize my houseplants every morning like they owe him money.”
“The new law aims to protect workers from being victimized by their employers.”
“Stop victimizing that poor vending machine just because it ate your dollar!”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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