degrade
verb (used with object)
to lower in dignity or estimation; bring into contempt.
had degraded
-
past perfectof degrade.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
"The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared."
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
Given the "substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery", evidence had degraded or disappeared, he said.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
It underscores how much last June’s attack had degraded Iran’s capacity to compete in the skies or mount a major retaliatory response.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
He said that quick fame had degraded the idea of a celebrity to something nearly unrecognizable.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2025
He had been censor, and in this capacity he had ejected disreputable senators from the Curia; he had degraded offending equites; he had rearranged and tried to purify the Comitia.
From Caesar: a Sketch by James Anthony Froude
