déviriliser

A verb from sociology-adjacent and cultural commentary: to strip someone or something of virility or traditionally masculine traits — déviriliser un homme, une image, un métier. It shows up mainly in debates about gender roles and masculinity in French media and academic writing, not casual speech.

• Certains sociologues étudient comment la société moderne déviriliserait les hommes. — Some sociologists study how modern society allegedly strips men of virility.
• Le film a été critiqué pour avoir dévirilisé le personnage principal. — The film was criticized for stripping the main character of his masculinity.
• Le débat porte sur l'idée que l'école déviriliserait les garçons. — The debate centers on the idea that school allegedly strips boys of masculinity.

This word appears almost exclusively in opinion pieces and academic-adjacent debate about gender and masculinity — using it in ordinary conversation about something trivial will sound like you're importing loaded political vocabulary rather than describing something simple.