downgrade
[ doun-greyd ]
/ ˈdaʊnˌgreɪd /
noun
a downward slope, especially of a road.
adjective, adverb
verb (used with object), down·grad·ed, down·grad·ing.
to assign to a lower status with a smaller salary.
to minimize the importance of; denigrate: She tried to downgrade the findings of the investigation.
to assign a lower security classification to (information, a document, etc.).
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Nearby words
downey cell, downfall, downfallen, downfield, downforce, downgrade, downgrowth, downhaul, downhearted, downheartedly, downhill
Idioms
on the downgrade, in a decline toward an inferior state or position: His career has been on the downgrade.
Related formsdown·grad·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for downgrade
British Dictionary definitions for downgrade
downgrade
/ (ˈdaʊnˌɡreɪd) /
verb (tr)
to reduce in importance, esteem, or value, esp to demote (a person) to a poorer job
to speak of disparagingly
noun
mainly US and Canadian a downward slope, esp in a road
on the downgrade waning in importance, popularity, health, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for downgrade
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper