debase

[dih-beys]

See more synonyms for debase on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), de·based, de·bas·ing.

to reduce in quality or value; adulterate: They debased the value of the dollar.
to lower in rank, dignity, or significance: He wouldn't debase himself by doing manual labor.

Origin of debase

1555–65; de- + base²; cf. abase

Related formsde·bas·ed·ness

[dih-bey-sid-nis, -beyst-] /dɪˈbeɪ sɪd nɪs, -ˈbeɪst-/, nounde·base·ment, nounde·bas·er, nounde·bas·ing·ly, adverbself-de·base·ment, nounun·de·based, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for debase on Thesaurus.com

1. lower, vitiate, corrupt; contaminate, pollute, defile. 2. degrade, abase, demean, reduce.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for debased

Contemporary Examples

Criminals and gangs were thought to be motivated by a debased sense of honor or a simple desire to seize property.
Money and Guns: How We Escape Our Existential Dread
James Poulos
April 18, 2014
We see the bad with the good, the debased and decadent with the sound and vital.
Obama's Fighting Speech - Part 1
David Frum
January 21, 2013
And it makes you wonder if journalism has not been so debased that foreign policy has become impossible.
Krauthammer's Libya Intervention
Bernard Avishai
October 19, 2012
The whole world of criticism and reviewing has been debased because the critic now is pressured to perform as part publicist.
Letter to a Young Critic: William Giraldi Defends True Criticism
William Giraldi
September 5, 2012
Latinas are debased by their poverty, thus making them accessible to any man with a few bucks.
Obama's Porn Problem With Liberals
McKay Coppins
April 21, 2011

Historical Examples

It is strange to what extent the pass often debased the judiciary.
The Railroad Question
William Larrabee
These are the signs of a debased, mistaken, and false school of painting.
Modern Painters Volume I (of V)
John Ruskin
Which there are some that are that debased they even thrives on wood alcohol, Dave.
Louisiana Lou
William West Winter
Nothing is more prejudicial to health than adulterated liquors, or liquors that are debased by any corrupting vegetable substance.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Of course it is easy to say that it is extravagant, overloaded and debased; and so it may be.
Portuguese Architecture
Walter Crum Watson

British Dictionary definitions for debased

debase

verb

(tr) to lower in quality, character, or value, as by adding cheaper metal to coins; adulterate

Derived Formsdebasedness (dɪˈbeɪsɪdnɪs), noundebasement, noundebaser, noundebasingly, adverb

Word Origin

C16: see de-, base ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for debased

debase

v.

1560s, from de- "down" + base (adj.) "low," on analogy of abase (or, alternatively, from obsolete verb base "to abuse").

debase

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}debase

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for debased

Contemporary Examples

Criminals and gangs were thought to be motivated by a debased sense of honor or a simple desire to seize property.

We see the bad with the good, the debased and decadent with the sound and vital.

And it makes you wonder if journalism has not been so debased that foreign policy has become impossible.

The whole world of criticism and reviewing has been debased because the critic now is pressured to perform as part publicist.

Latinas are debased by their poverty, thus making them accessible to any man with a few bucks.

Historical Examples

It is strange to what extent the pass often debased the judiciary.

These are the signs of a debased, mistaken, and false school of painting.

Which there are some that are that debased they even thrives on wood alcohol, Dave.

Nothing is more prejudicial to health than adulterated liquors, or liquors that are debased by any corrupting vegetable substance.

Of course it is easy to say that it is extravagant, overloaded and debased; and so it may be.

debase

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for debased

debase

v.

Origin of debase