degenerate

verb

de·​gen·​er·​ate di-ˈje-nə-ˌrāt 

dē-

degenerated; degenerating; degenerates

intransitive verb

1

: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition : deteriorate

Her fixed mysterious smile degenerated into a fatuous stare …

—J. C. Powys

2

: to sink into a low intellectual or moral state

The debate degenerated into a shouting match.

At the same time, discotheques degenerated into seedier venues … —shifty, often Mob-run last-martini stops for business commuters …

—Peter Braunstein

3

: to decline in quality

the poetry gradually degenerates into jingles

… the sitcom has degenerated into a sparring ring of personal insult

—James Wolcott

4

biology : to decline from a condition or from the standards of a species, race, or breed

5

biology : to evolve or develop into a less autonomous (see autonomous sense 3a) or less functionally active form

degenerated into dependent parasites

transitive verb

: to cause to degenerate

Synonyms of degenerate

• deteriorate
• descend
• crumble
• worsen
• decline

Examples of degenerate in a Sentence

over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers

Recent Examples on the Web

Macron’s highest aspirations to, as a modern Talleyrand, inject himself and solve global issues such as Ukraine, Africa’s Sahel, Syria, Lebanon, or Iran have fallen short, degenerated into petty feuds, or backfired. —Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

McFarland found the items inside a degenerating family trunk. —Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026

Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers. —Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026

But in general, any organic media is going to start degenerating over time, and the pH is going to be higher. —Ryan Conner, Dallas Morning News, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

circa 1526, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Kids Definition

degenerate

1 of 3 adjective

de·​gen·​er·​ate di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət 

: having degenerated : debased, degraded

degenerately adverb

degenerate

2 of 3 verb

de·​gen·​er·​ate di-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt 

1

: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition : deteriorate

the meeting degenerated into noisy chatter

2

: to undergo evolution toward an earlier or less highly organized biological form

degenerate

3 of 3 noun

de·​gen·​er·​ate di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət 

: a degenerate person

Medical Definition

degenerate

1 of 3 adjective

de·​gen·​er·​ate di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət 

1

a

: having declined (as in nature, character, structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state

especially : having deteriorated progressively (as in the process of evolution) especially through loss of structure and function

b

: having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious state

2

: having more than one codon representing an amino acid

also : being such a codon

degenerate

2 of 3 intransitive verb

de·​gen·​er·​ate di-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt 

degenerated; degenerating

1

: to sink into a low intellectual or moral state

2

: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition: as

a

: to gradually deteriorate so that normal function or structure is impaired or lost

the retina degenerated

b

: to decline from the standards of a species, race, or breed

3

: to evolve or develop into a less autonomous or less functionally active form

degenerated into dependent parasites

degenerate

3 of 3 noun

de·​gen·​er·​ate di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət 

: one that is degenerate: as

a

: one degraded from the normal moral standard

b

: a sexual pervert