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degrade

verb
de·​grade | \ di-ˈgrād How to pronounce degrade (audio) , dē-\
degraded; degrading; degrades

Definition of degrade

transitive verb

1a : to lower in grade, rank, or status : demote
b : to strip of rank or honors
c : to lower to an inferior or less effective level degrade the image quality
d : to scale down in desirability or salability
2a : to bring to low esteem or into disrepute his actions have degraded his profession punishments intended to humiliate and degrade prisoners
b : to drag down in moral or intellectual character : corrupt the Indians who consume peyote buttons do not seem to be … morally degraded by the habit— Aldous Huxley
3 : to impair in respect to some physical property material degraded by exposure to sunlight
4 geology : to wear down by erosion degraded the hillside
5 chemistry : to reduce the complexity of (a chemical compound) : decompose

intransitive verb

1 : to pass from a higher grade or class to a lower causes the meat to degrade in quality
2 of a chemical compound : to become reduced in complexity plastics that don't easily degrade
Other Words from degrade Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about degrade

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Other Words from degrade

degrader noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for degrade

Synonyms

break, bust, demote, disrate, downgrade, reduce

Antonyms

advance, elevate, promote, raise

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Did You Know?

In Shakespeare's King Lear, the old king is degraded by the daughters he has given his kingdom to. He finds it degrading, for instance, when the number of his guards is reduced from 100 to 25. His degradation seems complete when, after going mad, he's reduced to living in the wilderness. As you can see, degrade is often a synonym for humiliate.

Examples of degrade in a Sentence

The group accuses the company of degrading women in its ads. He felt degraded by their remarks. Scratches on a camera lens will degrade the image. Pollution has degraded air quality.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Spices Spices don't go bad per se, but their flavor degrades over time in a pretty dramatic way. — Jesse Sparks, Bon Appétit, "9 Pantry Staples You Probably Need to Replace," 3 Sep. 2019 The region will cross a tipping point and eventually degrade into savanna. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Wildfires are burning around the world. The most alarming is in the Amazon rainforest.," 20 Aug. 2019 Its latest plan calls for waiting 20 years in hopes that better, less expensive technology emerges or the unexploded shells degrade to a safe level. — Dan Elliott, BostonGlobe.com, "Wildlife now roam where US once forged its deadliest weapons," 18 Aug. 2019 Its latest plan calls for waiting 20 years in hopes that better, less expensive technology emerges or the unexploded shells degrade to a safe level. — Washington Post, "Wildlife now roam where US once forged its deadliest weapons," 18 Aug. 2019 Its latest plan calls for waiting 20 years in hopes that better, less expensive technology emerges or the unexploded shells degrade to a safe level. — oregonlive.com, "Wildlife now roam where US once forged its deadliest weapons," 18 Aug. 2019 Unlike unstable isotopes such as carbon-14, which degrades over time, stable isotopes never decay. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "Where you grew up, what you ate—your bones record your life," 18 July 2019 The astronauts got dust all over their suits, which degraded the material over time. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "High-speed lunar dust could cloud the future of human missions to the Moon," 17 July 2019 Delrahim said that lack of competition can degrade product quality, citing privacy lapses and free-speech questions as examples. — Ben Brody, latimes.com, "U.S. antitrust chief blasts Google and Amazon, citing historic breakups," 11 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'degrade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of degrade

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

History and Etymology for degrade

Middle English, from Anglo-French degrader, from Late Latin degradare, from Latin de- + gradus step, grade — more at grade

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More Definitions for degrade

degrade

verb
How to pronounce degrade (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of degrade

: to treat (someone or something) poorly and without respect
: to make the quality of (something) worse
technical : to cause (something complex) to break down into simple substances or parts

See the full definition for degrade in the English Language Learners Dictionary

degrade

verb
de·​grade | \ di-ˈgrād How to pronounce degrade (audio) \
degraded; degrading

Kids Definition of degrade

1 : to lower in character or dignity Mom feels that dressing animals in costumes degrades them.
2 : to break down or separate into simpler parts or substances Bacteria will degrade the spilled pollutant.
3 : to reduce from a higher to a lower rank or degree He was degraded to a private by his commander.

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