downgrade
Americannoun
adjective
verb (used with object)
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to assign to a lower status with a smaller salary.
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to minimize the importance of; denigrate.
She tried to downgrade the findings of the investigation.
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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
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has downgradedperfect
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am downgradingprogressive
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are downgradingprogressive
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is downgradingprogressive
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have been downgradingperfect progressive
-
has been downgradingperfect progressive
Past
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downgradedsimple
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had downgradedperfect
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was downgradingprogressive
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were downgradingprogressive
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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:
But the analysts said Ericsson’s outlook implies a low single-digit percentage downgrade to 2026 earnings-per-share estimates and low- to mid-single-digit percentage reductions to 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Jenrick said: "Frankly I find it astonishing that, just a short period after he was elected to Parliament, the authorities, the government, chose to massively downgrade his security".
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
"I'm saying it's simply not good enough if you use a children's home that's not registered with us, and we will downgrade you if that's the case", he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
This is perhaps the more compelling deal rationale: It gives NextEra’s rapidly growing unregulated development arm a lot of breathing room to expand without triggering a credit downgrade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 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
The downgrades, especially to the equivalent of sell ratings on Goldman and Morgan Stanley, reflect the investment-banking industry’s move to “the later part of the cycle,” Kotowski wrote in a note to clients.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
Hong Leong downgrades the Malaysian banking sector’s rating to neutral from overweight given the absence of immediate near-term catalysts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
There wasn’t much fundamental news on which to pin gains—no Wall Street upgrades or downgrades.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Giving reasons for the downgrades, BMW said problems in China -- where it faces fierce competition from local rivals and a sluggish market -- "accelerated further in the second quarter, particularly for non-electric vehicles".
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
If Moody’s downgrades GE paper, it is a big deal.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Evacuation orders for a portion of the Antelope Valley were downgraded to warnings on Sunday for the area between Fort Tejon Road and 233rd Street East to Boneyard Canyon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday modestly downgraded its outlook for the world economy this year, citing the energy shock caused by the Iran war.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
"Other cities have downgraded their Prides," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
It downgraded Indonesia’s information flow criterion—which gauges the quality, timeliness and availability of market information to international investors—to negative.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Olly: haikus are awful, they're just less fun limericks Madeline: You've been downgraded from heathen to heretic.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
The third investigation followed the downgrading of South East Water's credit rating by Moody's in May, which meant the firm was in breach of its licence condition.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Anmuth was more critical of Meta’s spending plans, downgrading the stock to neutral from overweight on Thursday.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
President Joe Biden proposed downgrading marijuana to a lesser category in 2024, which drew 43,000 public comments, and the DEA was reviewing the process, The Wall Street Journal reported External link.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
Through Valerie, Kudrow slyly performs our terminal habit of downgrading devastating developments to champagne problems, merrily chirping her character’s catchphrase, “How’s that?”
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2026
There's only leased access, and Heritage keeps raising its rates and downgrading its production services, thus decreasing access.
From Diamond Dust by Shearin, K. Kay
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.
