debauch

1 of 2

verb

de·​bauch di-ˈbȯch 

-ˈbäch, 

dē-

debauched; debauching; debauches

transitive verb

1

a

: to debase by extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures

a debauched society

… a heavy drinker who later became wholly debauched.

—Alistair Horne

b

: to lead away from virtue or duty

debauched by ambition

factory methods … debauched Victorian design

—Country Life

2

a

: seduce

notorious for debauching young women

b

archaic : to make disloyal

debaucher noun

debauch

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act or occasion of extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures : an act or occasion of debauchery

… great brimming drinks, each one of which was in itself a debauch.

—Jack London

2

: excessive indulgence

Wherever her verse is bad it is bad from some extravagance of imagery, … some kind of debauch of cleverness.

—G. K. Chesterton

Synonyms of debauch

Verb

• degrade
• corrupt
• poison
• debase
• humiliate
• weaken
• pervert
• subvert
• deprave
• deteriorate
• prostitute
• ruin
• destroy
• dilute
• demean
• vitiate

Choose the Right Synonym for debauch

debase, vitiate, deprave, corrupt, debauch, pervert mean to cause deterioration or lowering in quality or character.

debase implies a loss of position, worth, value, or dignity.

commercialism has debased the holiday

vitiate implies a destruction of purity, validity, or effectiveness by allowing entrance of a fault or defect.

a foreign policy vitiated by partisanship

deprave implies moral deterioration by evil thoughts or influences.

the claim that society is depraved by pornography

corrupt implies loss of soundness, purity, or integrity.

the belief that bureaucratese corrupts the language

debauch implies a debasing through sensual indulgence.

the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew

pervert implies a twisting or distorting from what is natural or normal.

perverted the original goals of the institute

Examples of debauch in a Sentence

Verb

the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew to the point where they no longer acted like naval professionals

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Just as bright, witty, and debauched as their namesake, this unique protagonist is on a path of self-discovery, gaining insight into not just their gender identity, but also their preternatural attraction to transgression and risk. — Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026

And regular Kate Moss’s turn on the decks one memorable, and debauched, night in 2015 had revelers literally swinging from the chandeliers. — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 13 June 2026

Noun

With funding from the American Field Service, Cowley began graduate studies in French literature at the University of Montpellier, returning to Paris regularly for doses of Surrealism, Dadaism, and judicious debauch. — Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

Having directed the Las Vegas Hangover debauches, Phillips follows Hollywood’s descent into hell. — Armond White, National Review, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from French débaucher "to divert or distract (a person) from work, obligations, etc., tempt into excess or immorality," going back to Middle French, "to cause (a servant, worker) to leave his master's service," going back to Old French desbauchier "to scatter, disperse (people, a crowd)," presumably from an earlier sense "to rough-hew a beam from a larger log" (hence, "to split, separate") from des- dis- + -bauchier, verbal derivative of bauch (Walloon, Picard) "beam," borrowed from Old Low Franconian *balk-, going back to Germanic *balkōn "beam" — more at balk entry 2

Noun

borrowed from French débauche, noun derivative of débaucher "to divert or distract (a person) from work, obligations, etc., tempt into excess or immorality" — more at debauch entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Noun

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

debauch

1 of 2 verb

de·​bauch di-ˈbȯch 

-ˈbäch

: to lead away from virtue or morality : corrupt

debaucher noun

debauch

2 of 2 noun

: an act, occasion, or period of debauchery