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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 |
adverb + (v.)degrade
badly, chemically, completely, environmentally, gradually, moderately, partially, seriously, severely, sexually, significantly, simultaneously, slightly, substantially, systematically, thereby
(v.)degrade
+ adverb
initially, naturally, quickly, rapidly
(v.)degrade
+ noun
ability,
accuracy,
acid,
atmosphere,
bacterium,
capability,
capacity,
combat,
compost,
compound,
contaminant,
deforestation,
detainee,
devastate,
dignity,
ecosystem,
effectiveness,
environment,
exposure,
fighting,
habitat,
hunting,
hydrocarbon,
image,
land,
landfill,
layer,
lyric,
material,
microorganism,
morale,
nitrocellulose,
occupation,
oxygen,
performance,
pesticide,
pornography,
prisoner,
punishment,
quality,
recognition,
resource,
soil,
stream,
sunlight,
torture,
toxin,
transmission,
treatment,
vessel,
waking,
waste,
wetland,
wilderness,
wildlife
[See all][See only the most frequent]
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The word degrade
contains the following parts:
de-
Latin
prefix
that means from; away from; down from; reverse, negate.
  Example words:
biodegradable, debase, debate, decay, deceive, deception, decide, decision, decline, decode, decriminalize, deduct, defer, defoliant, deform, defy, degrade, dehydrate, deject, delete, demagnetize, demerit, demoralize, demote, depend, deplete, deport, depose, deprive, descend, describe, description, desegregate, design, designate, despicable, despise, detach, detect, detract, devolve, indefeasible, independence, indescribable, indestructible
- synonyms:
- dis-, un-
grad, -grade
Latin
root
that means go, step, degree
Example words:
biodegradable, centigrade, degrade, downgrade, gradate, gradation, grade, gradient, gradual, graduate, ingredient, plantigrade, postgraduate, retrograde, upgrade
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