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
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Noun
Ratings could stabilize avoiding further credit downgrade risk. Ann Rutledge, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025 The White House has brushed aside the downgrade, describing it as largely symbolic and dismissing both the lagging indicator and the rater. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Verb
Those fears came after Moody’s downgraded the U.S.′ credit rating late last week, citing the growing budget deficit and the cost of funding the existing debt. Lisa Kailai Han,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 23 May 2025 Just last week, Moody’s became the final major credit-rating agency to downgrade U.S. government debt, following similar actions by S&P in 2011 and Fitch in 2023. Ben Ritz, Forbes.com, 22 May 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 28 May. 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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