downgrade
Americannoun
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downgrades
plural
adjective
verb (used with object)
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downgrades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
downgraded,
past participle, past
-
downgrading
present participle
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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.).
idioms
verb
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to reduce in importance, esteem, or value, esp to demote (a person) to a poorer job
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to speak of disparagingly
noun
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a downward slope, esp in a road
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waning in importance, popularity, health, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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downgradesimple
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downgradessimple
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have downgradedperfect
-
has downgradedperfect
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am downgradingprogressive
-
are downgradingprogressive
-
is downgradingprogressive
-
have been downgradingperfect progressive
-
has been downgradingperfect progressive
Past
-
downgradedsimple
-
had downgradedperfect
-
was downgradingprogressive
-
were downgradingprogressive
-
had been downgradingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of downgrade
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.
See Examples For:
M and the writer move through highly mediated spaces that amplify certain features and downgrade others, a kind of edited, hyperreal landscape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
President Nicusor Dan, a pro-European centrist, tried to address people's concerns last weekend after Romania avoided a downgrade of its credit rating by Fitch to "junk", or below investment grade.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
He added: "We are currently consulting on proposals to downgrade local authorities who commission these illegal homes."
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Baird published a widely cited downgrade note on Caterpillar, which highlighted industry-wide power equipment capacity additions and rising regulatory backlash on the data center buildout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It’s as if they don’t want to entirely lose the Mockingjay, but they want to downgrade my role to foot soldier.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
RBC Capital Markets analyst Trung Huynh downgrades shares of the Keytruda maker following a nearly 13% rally.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
DBS downgrades the stock’s rating to hold from buy and lowers its target price to $0.80 from $1.95.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The bank trims its target on the stock to A$34.35 from A$35.95 and downgrades to neutral from outperform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
UBS downgrades its rating to neutral from buy and its target price to 29.50 euros from 43.50 euros.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
If Moody’s downgrades GE paper, it is a big deal.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
As expected, the court rendered a guilty verdict against the Rueggs in August 1932, though it downgraded the death sentence to life imprisonment in a concession to international opinion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The Duke had sought to overturn a decision that had downgraded his security after he stopped being a working royal and moved to the US with the Duchess.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Ratings firms have said the companies could be downgraded if they don’t meet their remediation plans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Since the disclosures, rating agencies Fitch, AM Best and S&P Global have downgraded the companies’ outlook to negative, but they also have said the insurers maintain a high level of financial strength.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Right now it’s a Category Five. But they’re predicting Emily will be downgraded back to a Category Four by the time she makes landfall.”
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
On Monday, shortly after authorities began downgrading some mandatory evacuation orders to warnings around Somersett, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said people were already venturing too far into dangerous wildlands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Ader upgraded Backblaze shares to Market Perform from Underperform—just a few months after downgrading the stock.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
China had sent its defense minister, a primarily diplomatic role with no combat responsibilities, to four straight editions of the dialogue before downgrading its representation last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Anmuth was more critical of Meta’s spending plans, downgrading the stock to neutral from overweight on Thursday.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
A change in the method of productivity planning, which involved a redefinition of productivity as a calculated index, is reported to have been widely misinterpreted as downgrading the importance of productivity.
From Area Handbook for Albania by Sarah Jane Elpern
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.
