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

Estee Lauder — Shares fell nearly 3% after a Rothschild downgrade to sell from neutral. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2025

The increasingly parlous state of Francophone West Africa’s second-largest economy led to a credit downgrade by S&P in July which has pushed up borrowing costs. —semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Verb

The Club raised its price target on Eli Lilly to $1,100 from $925 per share and downgraded it to a hold-equivalent rating of 2. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 22 Nov. 2025

As a result, the team downgraded him against the Boston Celtics, ruling him out. —Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

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