degraded

adjective

de·​grad·​ed di-ˈgrā-dəd How to pronounce degraded (audio)
dē-
1
: reduced far below ordinary standards of civilized life and conduct
2
: characterized by degeneration of structure or function
degradedly adverb

Examples of degraded in a Sentence

many observers deplored the fact that the city's festivities for Mardi Gras had become a degraded, drunken celebration
Recent Examples on the Web Prolonged droughts adversely affect costs if suppliers need to buy a more expensive water supply, pump water from deeper underground or add treatment processes to clean degraded supplies, researchers with the Pacific Institute and the organization Dig Deep said in a recent report. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The executive noted that approximately 40% of Suzano's land is set aside for permanent conservation and that the company is working on the restoration of 37,000 hectares of degraded areas across Brazil. Angelica Mari, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Authorities recovered hairs found with each of the victims, which were too degraded to test for DNA with the techniques available at that time. Tucker Reals, CBS News, 14 July 2023 His group, the Clark Fork Coalition, had recently received a half-million dollars from yet another new initiative, a $161 million effort sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management, to restore degraded landscapes around the West. Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024 More:Milwaukee is turning around one of the most degraded sites in the Great Lakes. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2024 The Travis Air Force Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was requested to examine the bomb because of its size and degraded state, Keehn told USA TODAY on Tuesday. USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024 The new plan seeks to make buying or leasing degraded land a more attractive proposition instead, and coincides with Mr. Lula’s efforts to improve ties with the powerful agribusiness sector. Andre Cabette Fabio, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Dec. 2023 To slow or reverse this trend, South American governments must reduce deforestation and promote restoration in degraded areas, especially in Brazil, the authors wrote. Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of degraded was in 1643

Dictionary Entries Near degraded

Cite this Entry

“Degraded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/degraded. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on degraded

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!