degrade
Americanverb (used with object)
-
degrades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
degraded,
past participle, past
-
degrading
present participle
-
to lower in dignity or estimation; bring into contempt.
He felt they were degrading him by making him report to the supervisor.
- Antonyms:
- exalt
-
to lower in character or quality; debase.
- Antonyms:
- exalt
-
to reduce (someone) to a lower rank, degree, etc.; deprive of office, rank, status, or title, especially as a punishment.
degraded from director to assistant director.
- Antonyms:
- promote
-
to reduce in amount, strength, intensity, etc.
-
Physical Geography. to wear down by erosion, as hills.
-
Chemistry. to break down (a compound, especially an organic hydrocarbon).
verb (used without object)
-
degrades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
degraded,
past participle, past
-
degrading
present participle
-
to become degraded; weaken or worsen; deteriorate.
-
Chemistry. (especially of an organic hydrocarbon compound) to break down or decompose.
verb
-
(tr) to reduce in worth, character, etc; disgrace; dishonour
-
(tr) to reduce in rank, status, or degree; remove from office; demote
-
(tr) to reduce in strength, quality, intensity, etc
-
to reduce or be reduced by erosion or down-cutting, as a land surface or bed of a river Compare aggrade
-
chem to decompose or be decomposed into atoms or smaller molecules
Synonym Usage
See humble.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
degradesimple
-
degradessimple
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have degradedperfect
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has degradedperfect
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am degradingprogressive
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are degradingprogressive
-
is degradingprogressive
-
have been degradingperfect progressive
-
has been degradingperfect progressive
Past
-
degradedsimple
-
had degradedperfect
-
was degradingprogressive
-
were degradingprogressive
-
had been degradingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of degrade
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English degraden, from Late Latin dēgradāre, from Latin dē- de- + grad(us) “step, rank, progress” ( see grade) + -āre, infinitive verb suffix
Explanation
To degrade means to reduce the worth of something, as when smoke and pollution degrade the environment. The word can also mean to disrespect or insult: thoughtless comments can degrade a person. If you whistle at a passing woman, you're being disrespectful — your behavior degrades women. Degrade is often used to mean to insult someone because of their gender or race. Degrade also means to break down. Old paper or photographs can degrade when left in the light — their material breaks down so that they crumble at a touch.
Vocabulary lists containing degrade
30 GRE Words Beginning with "D"
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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How Low Can You Go? Synonyms for "Downward"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But former Apple AI staffers say that its privacy stance can slow its own product development and degrade the AI experiences it is able to offer on its platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Recognizing that 9/11’s horrors compounded over the years does not degrade the memory of its initial victims.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
The environmental impact of traditional balloons, which despite their advertising do not degrade, is largely unknown to the general public.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
In a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers found that a wide range of animals, including marine worms, starfish, earthworms, and other terrestrial species, possess enzymes that can degrade microbial PHAs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
I said, determined to see if he would not offer me the use of the dilapidated outhouse, which certainly no human could degrade any more than time and the elements had.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
As frontotemporal dementia degrades social awareness, loved ones and neuroscientists confront the heartbreaking boundary between a changing mind and the enduring self.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
"This was before plastic was introduced into bank notes, it degrades," he said.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
If it degrades rapidly, that means insects are attracted to the plentiful organic matter.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025
Diet activates autophagy -- a cellular "clean-up" process that degrades and recycles damaged proteins.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2025
The trouble with this is that it hardens and degrades to the last degree the ministers of the law.
From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 11 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Miscellany by Robert Green Ingersoll
They also alleged that Texas' supply of the drug had become degraded, as Pike's lawyers have similarly argued.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Nothing has degraded more for Latino men, however, than the simple pleasures of life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
If some of these satellites get hacked, damaged, derailed, or destroyed, America’s ability to fight a war would be seriously degraded.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
There are a few fun visual gags about the degraded far-future — a hospital named St. God’s, the city’s digital clock tower being stuck on a blinking 12:00 — but its punchlines tend toward nasty.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
He called for his “afflicted, degraded and slumbering brethren” to cast off their chains.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
But opponents continued to challenge executions, including execution methods, as painful or degrading.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
That produces a different effect from existing drugs that target BCL6 by blocking or degrading it.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
"Your battery works less well than before after using it thousands of times - that degrading or aging can be slowed down when you're using a nanocoating," Colen explains.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
“The experience was traumatizing, degrading and humiliating,” André said when the lawsuit was filed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
I think it’s about time men start respecting women, instead of degrading women to the point where it’s unbearable.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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