/ˌʌn.dəˈmaɪn/ · verb
undermine
làm suy yếu, làm xói mòn — Dần dần làm suy yếu một điều gì đó — như lòng tin, uy quyền hay nỗ lực — thường một cách âm thầm, từ bên trong.
The upgrade in 5 seconds
damage people's trust in government
undermine public trust in government
No definition. No dictionary. Just the sentence, made better.
Section 02
The Common Mistake
Many IELTS candidates lean on damage, weaken and hurt.
“Damage” and “weaken” are correct — but general. They miss the sense of slow, hidden erosion — the harm that eats away at something from beneath.
“Yes — that's exactly how I write, too.”
Section 03
The Better Choice
This is the step from Band 6 to Band 7 — not a harder word, a more precise one.
Section 04
Why It Works
“Damage” just says something got worse. “Undermine” says you weakened it gradually from beneath — the harm is slow, often invisible, and it eats away at the foundation.
That is why academic writers reach for it whenever something abstract erodes over time. It pairs with nouns of trust and effort (trust, confidence, authority, credibility, efforts) — the exact collocations Band 8 rewards.
Section 05 · The core of the lesson
Upgrade Matrix
Watch one idea climb from Band 6 to Band 9 — same meaning, rising precision.
Fake news can damage people's trust in the media.
Correct, but “damage trust” is general and slightly flat.
Fake news can undermine people's trust in the media.
Stronger verb, though the phrasing can be tightened.
The spread of fake news can undermine public trust in the media.
Natural collocation + a precise subject. This is the target.
The unchecked spread of fake news can gradually undermine public trust in the media and democratic institutions.
Developed idea with scope and nuance — fully controlled.
Too much criticism can hurt a child's confidence.
Fine, but “hurt confidence” is informal and flat.
Constant criticism can undermine a child's confidence.
“Undermine confidence” is a top-tier academic collocation.
Constant criticism can quietly undermine a child's confidence, discouraging them from taking risks.
Specific and developed — nothing wasted.
Section 06 · Read against the band descriptors
Examiner's Insight
How this word measures up against the public IELTS Writing & Speaking band descriptors — an editorial read, not a real examiner's verdict.
In Writing Task 2, “undermine public trust” is the kind of phrasing the band descriptors reward — not because the word is rare, but because it captures gradual, indirect harm precisely. It signals control of collocation and register, not just a bigger vocabulary.
Section 07
Native Radar
Not about grammar — about whether a native speaker would actually say it.
-
Native would naturally say
efforts to undermine democratic institutions
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Native might say
undermine the building
In modern use undermine is almost always figurative — for a physical structure, “weaken the foundations” sounds more natural.
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Native almost never says
undermine pollution
Undermine weakens something valued — trust, authority — not a problem you reduce. Use “reduce” or “curb” for pollution.
Section 08 · Under 5 minutes
Active Recall
01 Rewrite using undermine: “Corruption slowly damages people's faith in government.”
Model answer
Corruption slowly undermines people's faith in government.
02 Choose the stronger collocation: undermine pollution / undermine confidence.
Answer
undermine confidence — precise and academic.
03 Complete naturally: “Repeated failures can ______ a student's motivation.”
Answer
undermine — “undermine motivation” is a natural pairing.
Undermine weakens trust or confidence gradually —
not with one direct blow.
If you forget everything else, keep this.
Section 10 · Editorial rating
Examiner Score
Section 11 · The editor closes
Final Verdict
Undermine is one of the most precise verbs in academic English. It is not a word you show off — it names a specific kind of harm: slow, quiet erosion. The moment you write “undermine public trust” instead of “damage public trust,” your writing sounds like it understands how influence actually decays.
Learn it once, pair it with abstract nouns of trust and effort — trust, confidence, authority, credibility, efforts — and it will sharpen most argument and society essays you write.
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