Dictionary entry
lower oneself
/ˈləuə wʌnˈself/
verb
降低身份；自甘下流
to behave in a way that makes people respect you less; to degrade yourself
降低自己的身份；自甘下流
In use
He refused to lower himself by lying to his friends.
She would never lower herself to gossip about her colleagues.
I don't want to lower myself to their level.
lower oneself to do sth
常用于否定结构，表示不屑于做某事。
He would not lower himself to respond to such insults.
他绝不会降低自己去回应这种侮辱。
lower oneself by doing sth
强调行为方式导致身份降低。
She lowered herself by lying to her friends.
她通过向朋友撒谎降低了自己的身份。
lower oneself in sb's estimation
He lowered himself in everyone's estimation.
他在大家心目中的地位降低了。
Common mistakes
He lowered to ask for money.He lowered himself to ask for money.
“lower oneself” 是固定短语，必须带反身代词（oneself），表示降低自己的身份；后面接带 to 的不定式表示目的。
He lowered himself asking for money.He lowered himself to ask for money.
在 “lower oneself” 后，应该使用动词不定式（to do）而不是现在分词（doing）来表示目的。
Connections
Confusing words
- degrade oneself
- 降低自己 · degrade oneself 强调道德或地位的下降，有羞辱意味；lower oneself 多指行为上降低身份，常带贬义。
- humble oneself
- 谦卑自己 · humble oneself 强调出于谦逊或尊敬而降低姿态，常含褒义；lower oneself 则多指自甘堕落。
- abase oneself
- 卑躬屈膝 · abase oneself 语气更强，指极端自贬，常含奴性；lower oneself 程度较轻，指一般性降低身份。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT.