unman means to divest of humanity. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
unman is pronounced /ʌnˈmæn/.
Why “unman” is a great word
UNMAN — [Verb] To deprive (a person, especially a man) of courage, fortitude, or virility. From the prefix un- ("de-, dis-, away") + man ("male person"), first recorded in use 1589-1590. Unlike "unnerve," which suggests a temporary loss of composure from a sudden shock, or "emasculate," which specifically targets male power, to unman is to strip away the core spirit, the fundamental will to stand. It is the visceral sag of a soldier's shoulders when the order to retreat finally comes; the withering contempt in a lover's glance that dissolves purpose; or the cold, slow seep of doubt that hollows out a conviction until only the shell remains. The quiet tragedy is not of becoming less human, but of a fortress dismantled from within.
Etymology
From un- (“de-, dis-, away”) + man (“male person”). Compare Dutch ontmannen, German entmannen, both “to unman, emasculate, castrate”.
verb
- To divest of humanity.“Unman not therefore thy self by a beastial transformation, nor realize old Fables.”
- To castrate; to remove the manhood of.“He unmanned himself under a pine-tree and bled to death on the spot.”
- To sap (a person) of the strength, whether physical or emotional, required to deal with a situation.“I hope to God his theories will not unman him in action, that he will not be musing and refining when he should be leading the Jacks […]”
- To deprive of men.