bastardize

verb

ˈba-stər-ˌdīz How to pronounce bastardize (audio)
Definition of bastardizenext
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality bastardize the art form by adapting it to popular taste

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bastardize The events meant to bring us together, like the Super Bowl or March Madness, have been bastardized into vehicles for ruinous addiction. — MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025 Additionally, adding the musical element further bastardizes this tale. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025 Over the years, though, the cocktail has become bastardized into a sugary drink containing all sorts of fruit juices and sweeteners, causing it to be denegrated alongside the likes of Long Island Ice Teas and Strawberry Daiquiris. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2023 These white people in blackface entertained the masses with stereotypes of Blackness, bastardizing the Black identity in the process. — Tayo Bero, refinery29.com, 4 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for bastardize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastardize
  1. degrade
  2. subvert
  3. corrupt
  4. dilute
  5. humiliate
  6. debase
  7. weaken
  8. destroy
Verb
  • Many lubricants aren't silicone-safe and can actually degrade the surface of silicone products over time.
    — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Residents fear adding another logistics hub nearby will further degrade air quality in the region.
    — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • Panelists warned about a future where Christian nationalists subvert democratic systems in order to achieve a larger goal of garnering special power and privilege for Christians.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • No artist has had more fun subverting the conventions of the track ID than Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026
Definition of subvert
Verb
  • The unsightly mushroom could have corrupted her maids’ morals, or even their health.
    — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
  • Radiation from space and other high-energy environments can corrupt data or permanently damage conventional electronics.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • Any perception that a new government might deprioritise or dilute this work would be read by markets as a signal, and not a good one.
    — Nina Seega, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • In Louisiana, where Black residents make up roughly one-third of the population, a federal court had found that a post-2020 congressional map with only one majority-Black district likely diluted Black voting power.
    — Juhi Doshi, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of dilute
Verb
  • Rudi Garcia then arguably drew up the game plan of the tournament, leaving Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku out of his starting XI and still managing to humiliate the hosts.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The Fijians were tough and clinical in a huge turnaround from last weekend when they were humiliated by England 73-8 in Liverpool.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • Look at how much the city had debased this pilgrim in six months, a year.
    — David Hajdu, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
  • In order to emerge victorious in his quest to bring the World Cup to Mexico, De la Torre debases himself and backstabs shamelessly.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Definition of debase
Verb
  • That makes the hot and cold sides quickly equalize, clearly weakening electricity generation.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026
  • The Kospi Index has tumbled 25% since its June peak, resulting in a $1 trillion wipeout that threatens to weaken its global clout.
    — Winnie Hsu, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • The planters themselves get chipped, scratched, dented and, in one out of every three cases so far, destroyed.
    — Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • However, an unconfined plasma column could instantly destroy solid surfaces upon contact.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

bastard
bastardize
bastardized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bastardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastardize. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bastardize

Nglish: Translation of bastardize for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of itinerant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All