as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
made degrading comments about his so-called friend behind his back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in reducing
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the view that such a system degrades doctors to the status of medical employees who ultimately are not in charge of their patients' health care
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorating
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in humiliating
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the players degraded themselves with their crude antics off the field
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrading
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
There’s an adjustment period — percale can feel crisp at first — but most people acclimate within a week or two and find cotton softens further with every wash, rather than pilling or degrading like synthetics.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
IEEE Spectrum,
11 June 2026
The country’s ministry of culture and sports set out a series of rules and regulations which included no pyro, no face paint and no shouting of words that could be degrading towards any person on the field, not even the referee.
—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Adjective
In principle, there is no such thing as intrinsically degrading work; degradation is a cultural phenomenon.
—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
There’s an adjustment period — percale can feel crisp at first — but most people acclimate within a week or two and find cotton softens further with every wash, rather than pilling or degrading like synthetics.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
On top of that, ionizing radiation in space from cosmic rays and other sources poses a unique challenge, degrading the solar panels, the radiative coolers, and the chips themselves.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
11 June 2026
The country’s ministry of culture and sports set out a series of rules and regulations which included no pyro, no face paint and no shouting of words that could be degrading towards any person on the field, not even the referee.
—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrading
Adjective
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Considering there were only 33 appearances this past season, such Heat prudence hardly could be viewed as insulting.
-
What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting.
Verb
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Some institutions, like the University of Arizona, are intentionally lowering class sizes to improve academic performance and graduation rates, while reducing scholarship expenses and national recruitment burdens.
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Norway's smartphone ban has already yielded results, according to some studies, including increasing students' GPAs and reducing trips to mental health professionals, particularly among female students.
Verb
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That enables Cadence’s system, which is supervised by physicians, to alert a clinician when a patient is deteriorating before a stroke or heart attack, for example.
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By the time the kids make it to the Gullet, the situation is deteriorating.
Verb
-
Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.
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The autocrat delights in humiliating so many people, not least tech billionaires, including Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, who once opposed him.
Adjective
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Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.
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Some of the women interviewed for the article claimed that Platner could be demeaning to women and, in at least one case, even physically threatening.
Verb
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Psychologists and economists have spent decades demoting gratification to a sin.
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Back in 2018, Molitor said demoting Sanó was one of the most difficult decisions of his career.
Verb
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Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.
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An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.
Verb
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Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.
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If the Knicks had that happen to them, everyone would be discrediting them.
Cite this Entry
“Degrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrading. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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