degraded
Americanadjective
-
reduced in rank, position, reputation, etc..
He felt degraded by the trivial tasks assigned to him.
-
reduced in quality or value; debased; vulgarized.
the degraded level of the modern novel.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of degraded
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; see origin at degrade, -ed 2
Vocabulary lists containing degraded
"The Declaration of Sentiments" (1848)
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"Ellen West" by Frank Bidart
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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.
Degraded forests may look intact from above, but they lose a significant portion of their biomass and ecological function.
From Science Daily • Oct. 8, 2025
Degraded reefs and lower water quality could emerge over the same time frame and she is pressing for a long-term monitoring plan that could be supported with state funds, she said.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2024
Degraded farmland or cities would likely reveal far fewer insects.
From Reuters • Dec. 6, 2022
Degraded land is a worldwide crisis: The FAO estimates that a quarter of the world’s land is highly degraded or in danger of becoming so.
From Scientific American • Dec. 12, 2019
O miserable mankind, to what fall Degraded, to what wretched state reserved!
From Paradise Lost by Milton, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
