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undermine

intermediateB2

/ˌʌn.dərˈmaɪn/ · un-der-mine

To weaken or damage something, often gradually or insidiously.

Meanings

verbformal

To weaken or damage something, often gradually or insidiously.

کسی چیز کو کمزور یا نقصان پہنچانا، اکثر آہستہ آہستہ یا چپکے سے۔

کمزور کرنا

kamzor karna

Synonyms

undercutsubvertsabotageکمزور کرنانقصان دیناخسارے میں ڈالنا

Antonyms

strengthensupportbolsterمضبوط کرنامدد دیناحمایت کرنا

Common Collocations

  • undermine trust
  • undermine authority
  • undermine efforts

Example Sentences

The constant criticism began to undermine her confidence.

مسلسل تنقید نے اس کی خود اعتمادی کو کمزور کرنا شروع کردیا۔

Musalsal tanqeed ne is ki khud aitmaadi ko kamzor karna shuru kar diya.

Bad practices in management can undermine a company's reputation.

انتظامیہ میں خراب طریقے کمپنی کی شہرت کو کمزور کر سکتے ہیں۔

Intizamiyah mein kharab tareeqay company ki shohrat ko kamzor kar sakte hain.

His actions were seen as an attempt to undermine the team's morale.

اس کے اقدامات کو ٹیم کے حوصلے کو کمزور کرنے کی کوشش سمجھا گیا۔

Us ke aamaal ko team ke hoslay ko kamzor karne ki koshish samjha gaya.

Easily Confused With

underlined:Underlined means to draw a line beneath text, while undermine refers to weakening something.

Word Family

undermining
verbکمزور کرنا

See Also

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 'undermine' as digging under something to make it weaker.

Imagine a tunnel being dug beneath a building, which is slowly causing it to collapse.

📖 Etymology

Origin: Old English "underminan" — to mine underneath

First known use: 15th century

Initially meant to dig beneath something; evolved to figuratively mean weakening or sabotaging.