degraded

[ dih-grey-did ]

adjective

1. reduced in rank, position, reputation, etc.:

   He felt degraded by the trivial tasks assigned to him.

2. reduced in quality or value; debased; vulgarized:

   the degraded level of the modern novel.

Other Words From

• de·graded·ly adverb
• de·graded·ness noun
• unde·graded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of degraded¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; degrade, -ed ²

Example Sentences

They are making a world so scary and degraded that it's perfectly understandable not to want to inflict it on a child.

From Salon

Mr. Francis’ actions not only degraded the 7th Fleet’s readiness but shook the Fleet’s trust in its leadership who furthered his corrupt practices,” Kelly said.

From BBC

At the same time, there is growing concern about the health and environmental consequences of microplastics — the bits of degraded plastic that slough off as the product ages, or is used, or washed.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has immeasurably degraded our political culture at the highest level.

From Salon

He said creators should focus on how they can make engaging content that caters to their audience, rather than be overly concerned by the possibility of its quality being degraded by Instagram.

From BBC