deprave

American  

[dih-preyv] / dɪˈpreɪv /

verb (used with object)

depraved, depraving

1. to make morally bad or evil; vitiate; corrupt.

2. Obsolete.  to defame.

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deprave British  

/ ˌdɛprəˈveɪʃən, dɪˈpreɪv /

verb

1. to make morally bad; corrupt; vitiate

2. obsolete  to defame; slander

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Other Word Forms

• depravation noun
• depraver noun
• depravingly adverb
• nondepravation noun

Etymology

Origin of deprave

1325–75; Middle English depraven (< Anglo-French ) < Latin dēprāvāre to pervert, corrupt, equivalent to dē- de- + prāv ( us ) crooked + -āre infinitive suffix

Example Sentences

The lasting lesson from the original movie is not that mobs are depraved or that TV is stupid, but that Mr. Schwarzenegger had a special gift for making otherwise terrible efforts watchable.

From The Wall Street Journal

"And his depraved strikes on young children in a nursery this week make that crystal clear," he added.

From BBC

But the current purpose of the lie is even more depraved than we usually get from this self-proclaimed beacon of Christian morality.

From Salon

The trial judge described him as "depraved", "arrogant" and a "bully".

From BBC

Etoria and four other individuals - from Cuba, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen - were described by the US government as "depraved monsters" when they were expelled to Eswatini in southern Africa in July.

From BBC