degrade

American  

[dih-greyd, dee-greyd] / dɪˈgreɪd, diˈgreɪd /

verb (used with object)

degraded, degrading

1. to lower in dignity or estimation; bring into contempt.

   He felt they were degrading him by making him report to the supervisor.

   Synonyms:

   discredit, dishonor, disgrace

   Antonyms:

   exalt

2. to lower in character or quality; debase.

   Synonyms:

   vitiate, abase

   Antonyms:

   exalt

3. to reduce (someone) to a lower rank, degree, etc.; deprive of office, rank, status, or title, especially as a punishment.

   degraded from director to assistant director.

   Synonyms:

   break, cashier, lower, downgrade, depose, demote

   Antonyms:

   promote

4. to reduce in amount, strength, intensity, etc.

5. Physical Geography. to wear down by erosion, as hills.

6. Chemistry. to break down (a compound, especially an organic hydrocarbon).

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verb (used without object)

degraded, degrading

1. to become degraded; weaken or worsen; deteriorate.

2. Chemistry. (especially of an organic hydrocarbon compound) to break down or decompose.

degrade British  

/ dɪˈɡreɪd /

verb

1. (tr) to reduce in worth, character, etc; disgrace; dishonour

2. (tr) to reduce in rank, status, or degree; remove from office; demote

3. (tr) to reduce in strength, quality, intensity, etc

4. to reduce or be reduced by erosion or down-cutting, as a land surface or bed of a river Compare aggrade

5. chem to decompose or be decomposed into atoms or smaller molecules

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Related Words

See humble.

Other Word Forms

• degrader noun

Etymology

Origin of degrade

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English degraden, from Late Latin dēgradāre, from Latin dē- de- + grad(us) “step, rank, progress” ( see grade) + -āre, infinitive verb suffix

Explanation

To degrade means to reduce the worth of something, as when smoke and pollution degrade the environment. The word can also mean to disrespect or insult: thoughtless comments can degrade a person. If you whistle at a passing woman, you're being disrespectful — your behavior degrades women. Degrade is often used to mean to insult someone because of their gender or race. Degrade also means to break down. Old paper or photographs can degrade when left in the light — their material breaks down so that they crumble at a touch.

Example Sentences

A handshake between the protagonists disguises hell-bent hunger to degrade each other as far as non-contact sport allows.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Until then, connectivity may degrade throughout the region.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The targeting clearly shows a strategy to degrade the regime’s apparatus of repression, but risks harming the very prisoners it is intended to empower, analysts said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

However, McBeth notes that continued operations would continue to degrade Iran’s command and control structure.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

In this they are quite unlike testimonies, which degrade as they pass from ear to ear in an endless game of Chinese whispers; eighteenth-century probability theorists actually devised formulae for calculating this rate of degradation.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• cheapen
• corrupt
• debase
• degenerate
• demean
• deteriorate
• diminish
• discredit
• disgrace
• downgrade
• impair
• lessen
• reduce
• vitiate
• weaken