depraved

adjective

de·​praved di-ˈprāvd 

: marked by corruption or evil

a depraved attack

especially : having or showing an evil and immoral character

a depraved criminal

the work of depraved minds

depravedly

di-ˈprā-vəd-lē 

-ˈprāvd-lē

adverb

depravedness

di-ˈprā-vəd-nəs 

-ˈprāvd-nəs

noun

Synonyms of depraved

• corrupt
• degraded
• sick

Examples of depraved in a Sentence

the work of depraved minds

He acted with depraved indifference to human suffering.

Recent Examples on the Web

Taken together, Beef seems to say all of these are representations of a culture so toxically individualistic and ambitious that its members can’t even fathom solidarity as an option to push back against a depraved ruling class. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026

The Kino offices are a cesspool with wan lighting and depraved employees who screw each other in the stairwells, presumably for a few sweaty seconds of feeling alive. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

Cast against type, Stamos has fun slyly underplaying a thoroughly depraved character. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026

Maybe the regime just takes a new form, an equally depraved regime. —ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see deprave

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for depraved

• autoclaved
• misbehaved
• behaved
• engraved
• enslaved
• unpaved
• unsaved
• braved
• caved
• craved
• paved
• raved

Legal Definition

depraved

adjective

de·​praved di-ˈprāvd 

: 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