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.

---

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

“He was a man who debased other human beings,” he said.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 24, 2023

Meanwhile, the tenor of public debate was steadily debased.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2023

The Earth has been long denuded and debased by our machines—bled of its mystery by the enlightened scalpel of man—and our blood is the price we must pay for the planet’s resurrection.

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2023

The burden of being publicly debased felt a tiny bit lighter because she understood how humiliated I felt.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2022

Fearing the worst, the debased tlatoani made a begging public appearance on behalf of the Spanish.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann