down·grade
ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād 
1
: a downward grade (as of a road)
2
: a descent toward an inferior state
a career on the downgrade
downgraded; downgrading; downgrades
Examples of downgrade in a Sentence
Noun
a downgrade in the company's stock prices
a singing career on the downgrade
Verb
The restaurant was downgraded from three to two stars.
She didn't intend to downgrade the importance of her colleague's work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025
Harley-Davidson — Shares of the motorcycle maker fell 2% on the back of a downgrade at Morgan Stanley to underweight from equal weight.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Berkshire Hathaway to underperform, warning that Warren Buffett’s succession risk and a slew of business-specific headwinds could weigh on the conglomerate’s earnings and share performance over the next year.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downgrade
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
How to Avoid Getting Downgraded While downgrades are almost entirely out of your control, there are a few factors that can work in your favor.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025
Harley-Davidson — Shares of the motorcycle maker fell 2% on the back of a downgrade at Morgan Stanley to underweight from equal weight.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
Doncic was originally listed as questionable, but was officially downgraded to out because of a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion.
—Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Berkshire Hathaway to underperform, warning that Warren Buffett’s succession risk and a slew of business-specific headwinds could weigh on the conglomerate’s earnings and share performance over the next year.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downgrade
Cite this Entry
“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
downgrade
1 of 2 noun
down·grade
-ˌgrād
1
: a downward slope
2
: a lowering toward a worse condition
a neighborhood on the downgrade
downgrade
adverb
downgrade
2 of 2 verb
: to lower in grade, rank, or standing
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share