downgrade

1 of 2

noun

down·​grade ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād 

1

: a downward grade (as of a road)

2

: a descent toward an inferior state

a career on the downgrade

downgrade

2 of 2

verb

downgraded; downgrading; downgrades

transitive verb

1

: to lower in quality, value, status, or extent

2

: minimize, depreciate

Synonyms of downgrade

Noun

• deterioration
• decline
• degradation
• declination

Verb

• demote
• reduce

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

Noun

Trading spaghetti alla Nerano for fish and chips might seem like a downgrade—but Tucci pushes back on that assumption. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026

That's essentially what Barclays argued in its downgrade to hold from buy. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Verb

Workday was downgraded to hold from buy at KeyBanc, with analysts expecting a longer timeline before the adoption of AI products takes hold. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

The pocket-size converter and amplifier snaps onto the back of your device via MagSafe magnet, upgrading the audio quality coming out of connected headphones or speakers without downgrading user experience. — Eliza Thompson, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for downgrade

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted

Kids 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