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- pronunciation:
- dih
greId
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb), Word Parts
part of speech: |
transitive verb |
inflections: |
degrades, degrading, degraded |
definition 1: |
to bring (someone or something) down in moral or intellectual character; deprave; debase.
The board felt that such risqué literature would degrade the minds of the youth.- synonyms:
- corrupt, debase, deprave
- antonyms:
- uplift
- similar words:
- debauch, pervert, rot, subvert, taint
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definition 2: |
to bring (someone) down from a higher to a lower rank, degree, status, or the like, esp. to deprive of a position, title, or office.
Because of his disrespectful behavior toward an officer, he was degraded to the rank of private.- synonyms:
- bust, demote, downgrade
- antonyms:
- advance, elevate
- similar words:
- abase, cashier, defrock, demean, depose, dethrone, dismiss, disparage, lower, remove, unseat
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definition 3: |
to lower in the opinion of others or in self-respect; bring into dishonor or disgrace.
The discovery of his involvement in the scandal degraded him in the eyes of the public.It's honest work, so I don't feel it degrades me to do it.- synonyms:
- abase, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, shame, soil
- antonyms:
- dignify, exalt
- similar words:
- belittle, defame, deflate, denigrate, dirty, humble, humiliate, taint, tarnish
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definition 4: |
to deplete the natural richness or health of.
Excessive farming of the land degraded the soil. |
definition 5: |
to reduce in value, amount, or intensity.
Rapid inflation degraded the country's currency.- synonyms:
- debase, depress, devalue, lower, reduce
- similar words:
- alloy, deplete, deprecate, depreciate
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definition 6: |
to break down the chemical complexity of (a substance); cause decomposition.
Exposure to hot and cold air will degrade the wood eventually.- synonyms:
- decompose
- similar words:
- decay, rot
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definition 7: |
to wear down (rock) and cause disintegration.
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related words: |
affront, bust, cloud, defile, demolish, devalue, diminish, discredit, infect, profane, reduce, run down, shame, violate |
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part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
definition: |
of a substance, to break down or decompose.
The metal will degrade over time.- synonyms:
- decompose
- similar words:
- decay, rot
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related words: |
taint |
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