Main Entry:

de·grade

Pronunciation:

\di-ˈgrād, dē-\

Function:

verb

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French degrader, from Late Latin degradare, from Latin de- + gradus step, grade — more at grade

Date:

14th century

transitive verb1 a: to lower in grade, rank, or status : demote b: to strip of rank or honors c: to lower to an inferior or less effective level <degrade the image quality> d: to scale down in desirability or salability2 a: to bring to low esteem or into disrepute <his actions have degraded his profession> b: to drag down in moral or intellectual character : corrupt3: to impair in respect to some physical property <material degraded by exposure to sunlight>4: to wear down by erosion5: to reduce the complexity of (a chemical compound) : decomposeintransitive verb1: to pass from a higher grade or class to a lower2of a chemical compound : to become reduced in complexity

— de·grad·er noun

— de·grad·ing·ly \-ˈgrā-diŋ-lē\ adverb