Dictionary

degrade en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈɡɹæɪd/ (Australia)
• /dɪˈɡɹeɪd/ (UK)
• /diˈɡɹeɪd/ (Canada, US)
• /dɪˈɡɹeɪd/ (Canada, US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle French dégrader.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To lower in value or social position.
   • Fred degrades himself by his behaviour.
   • […] [William] Prynne was sentenced by the Star-Chamber Court to be degraded from the bar, to stand in pillory at two places in London and lose an ear at each, to be branded on the forehead, to pay a fine of five thousand pounds, and to be imprisoned for life. 1858, John Gorham Palfrey, chapter XIV, in History of New England during the Stuart Dynasty. […], volume I, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown, and Company, →OCLC, book I, pages 563–564:
2. (ergative, intransitive) To reduce in quality or purity.
   • The DNA sample has degraded.
3. (transitive) To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.

Forms

Deriveds

degradosome · degron · degradability · degrade gracefully · degradee · degradement · photodegrade · degradant · degradome · degradable · degradation · biodegrade · degradomics · degrader

Synonyms

devaluate · downgrade · humiliate · degrade · discredit · relegate · slur · humble · debase · bring down to size · degrade · reduce · disparage · put someone in their place · embase · disgrace · avile · demote · knock down to size · depreciate · debase · whittle down to size · give a bad name · abase · trim down to size · abase · debauch · debase · abase · demean · defame · dirty · demean · depress · devalue · dishonour · elevate · sink · cut down to size · vitiate

Translations (50)

cs znehodnotit (to reduce in quality or purity) · es degradar (to reduce in quality or purity) · cy diraddio (to reduce in quality or purity) · cs degradovat (to lower in value or social position) · pt degradar (to reduce in quality or purity) · hu lealacsonyodik (to reduce in quality or purity) · it degradarsi (to reduce in quality or purity) · pt desgastar (to reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down) · bg деградирам (to reduce in quality or purity) · fi alentaa (to lower in value or social position) · hu lealacsonyít (to lower in value or social position) · nl degraderen (to reduce in quality or purity) · de herabstufen (to lower in value or social position) · nl vervallen (to reduce in quality or purity) · hu bomlik (to reduce in quality or purity) · cy diraddio (to lower in value or social position) · sv degradera (to lower in value or social position) · bg понижавам (to lower in value or social position) · sv nedvärdera (to lower in value or social position) · hu degradál (to lower in value or social position) · bg упадам (to reduce in quality or purity) · de degradieren (to lower in value or social position) · lad enkorkovarse (to lower in value or social position) · bg разлагам се (to reduce in quality or purity) · it degradare (to lower in value or social position) · de vermindern (to reduce in quality or purity) · hu degradálódik (to reduce in quality or purity) · hu elbomlik (to reduce in quality or purity) · bg разжалвам (to lower in value or social position) · hu erodálódik (to reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down) · de erodieren (to reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down) · pt degradar (to lower in value or social position) · mi whakapāpaku (to lower in value or social position) · la obterō (to lower in value or social position) · ca degradar (to reduce in quality or purity) · sa भ्रंशते (to lower in value or social position) · ga ísligh (to lower in value or social position) · pt erodir (to reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down) · ar تَرَدَّى (to reduce in quality or purity) · de herunterstufen (to lower in value or social position) · ca degradar (to lower in value or social position) · hu elkopik (to reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down) · nl aftakelen (to reduce in quality or purity) · es degradar (to lower in value or social position) · ota آشاغیلامق (to lower in value or social position) · fi alentaa (to reduce in quality or purity) · de abbauen (to reduce in quality or purity) · de herabsetzen (to lower in value or social position) · fi heikentää (to reduce in quality or purity) · hu lebomlik (to reduce in quality or purity)