debased

American  

[dih-beyst] / dɪˈbeɪst /

adjective

1. lowered in quality, character, or value.

   Part of the reason for the rise in commodities and oil is the debased dollar.

   Even in the debased conditions of wartime, people had dreams of a beautiful future.

2. lowered in rank, dignity, or significance.

   In the 1800s, many people considered show business to be a debased profession.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of debase.

Other Word Forms

• debasedness noun
• undebased adjective

Etymology

Origin of debased

debase ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

The very concepts of intellectualism, and of objective knowledge itself, have been debased by a kind of Gresham’s Law, with the bad driving out the good.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

The most debased and tragic is Jeff, who, with his wife, has worked at the fair for decades.

From New York Times • May 30, 2024

Meanwhile, the tenor of public debate was steadily debased.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2023

Some illustrious “main characters” shot for the moon; some just debased themselves.

From Slate • Dec. 28, 2022

Working as a lawyer in South Africa meant operating under a debased system of justice, a code of law that did not enshrine equality but its opposite.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela