downgrade

1 of 2

noun

down·​grade ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād How to pronounce downgrade (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
This increasing surplus coincides with the OECD’s recent downgrade of its global GDP growth forecast for 2025, from 3.1% to 2.9%—indicating softer demand on the horizon. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025 Sunrun — The solar stock dropped 6.1% following Jefferies’ downgrade to underperform from hold. Alex Harring, CNBC, 11 June 2025
Verb
The new dates include 13 new shows, including stops in New York, Arkansas, California, and Texas, and come just days after the band downgraded several shows from stadiums to arenas and amphitheatres in cities such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025 To accommodate the change, the 250 event in Birmingham was moved and downgraded to a 125 event, below the main WTA Tour. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for downgrade

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downgrade was in 1847

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

downgrade

1 of 2 noun
down·​grade -ˌgrād How to pronounce downgrade (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on downgrade

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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