depraved

adjective

de·​praved di-ˈprāvd How to pronounce depraved (audio)
: marked by corruption or evil
a depraved attack
especially : perverted
the work of depraved minds
depravedly
di-ˈprā-vəd-lē How to pronounce depraved (audio)
-ˈprāvd-lē
adverb
depravedness
di-ˈprā-vəd-nəs How to pronounce depraved (audio)
-ˈprāvd-nəs
noun

Examples of depraved in a Sentence

the work of depraved minds He acted with depraved indifference to human suffering.
Recent Examples on the Web As Edward grows distant from Ryley and both become taken by hallucinations, the film suddenly offers a clear-eyed explanation of the depraved acts that prop up the bloodline. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 Any act of violence, any killing or harming of any person, is never okay — no matter what precipitates or motivates such a depraved act. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 4 Jan. 2024 The kapos directly supervising the penal company were among the camp’s most unscrupulous criminals, depraved outcasts who were said to enjoy crushing Jewish men’s testicles with a wooden hammer on a board. Keren Blankfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024 Its author has impressively smooth control of his depraved, devastating material — black humor without the humor. Howard Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 The commercialization of such a depraved case, combined with Ms. Ellerup’s payday and her decision to tempt legal fate by going on camera before the trial, has rankled victims’ families and law enforcement officials. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023 The Smiths signify the killer’s depraved idiosyncrasy — his untrustworthy individuality evokes the elite sadists in Fincher’s Fight Club. Armond White, National Review, 17 Nov. 2023 And those for whom Pizzagate was an allegory (however preposterous in its specific claims) of the depraved duplicity of the political class were plenty right (cf. Ben Lerner, Harper's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023 In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s creatively depraved, multiaxial attack in southern Israel, in which over 1,400 Israelis were butchered, more than 5,000 more were wounded, and another 200-plus were taken hostage by the terrorist group, President Joe Biden said and did all the right things. The Editors, National Review, 3 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'depraved.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see deprave

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of depraved was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near depraved

Cite this Entry

“Depraved.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depraved. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

depraved

adjective
de·​praved di-ˈprāvd How to pronounce depraved (audio)
: marked by moral corruption or perversion as shown by a capacity for extreme and wanton physical cruelty
the depraved state of mind of the murderer
the depraved nature of the crime

More from Merriam-Webster on depraved

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