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
Derived 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.
"If we're going to commit to prosecuting someone who's degraded the landscape, then we should make sure that they atone by monitoring that landscape sufficiently afterwards."
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Traditionally, logs made of coir - coconut husk - have been imported from South-East Asia to reduce erosion, hold back water and also re-wet degraded peatland.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
“The defense-industrial base for their drones and their missiles and their navy were degraded by 90%,” he said Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
They also observed that biological materials formed a continuum ranging from well preserved to heavily degraded.
From Science Daily • May 12, 2026
“See! There they are,” said Herbert, “coming out of the Tap. What a degraded and vile sight it is!”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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.
