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corrupt

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective corrupt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of corrupt are degenerate, iniquitous, nefarious, vicious, and villainous. While all these words mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct," corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

When might degenerate be a better fit than corrupt?

The meanings of degenerate and corrupt largely overlap; however, degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

When is iniquitous a more appropriate choice than corrupt?

Although the words iniquitous and corrupt have much in common, iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

In what contexts can nefarious take the place of corrupt?

The synonyms nefarious and corrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

When would vicious be a good substitute for corrupt?

While in some cases nearly identical to corrupt, vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

When can villainous be used instead of corrupt?

While the synonyms villainous and corrupt are close in meaning, villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

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 corrupt
Adjective
One of them is corrupt politician Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker), who longs to reconcile with his estranged son, Charlie (Justin Cornwell). Andy Crump, Time, 26 Apr. 2025 He’s been accused of entering into a corrupt deal with the Trump administration, helping the president’s immigration agenda in exchange for his federal corruption case getting dropped. Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
Stuart Miller, Boynton Beach Seven memorable words Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2025 The show followed an ensemble of one-percenters at the titular resort in Hawaii, observing how their privilege blinds them to reality and corrupts everyone around them, leading to conflicts, cruelty, and, eventually, violence. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for corrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupt
Adjective
  • This new species was found around villages and gardens, as well as in degraded habitats at a mine site.
    Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
  • First, one neural network takes high-quality images from one instrument and simulates degraded images as if they were taken by a different, lower-quality instrument.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • He cannot be allowed to rot in an El Salvadorian jail.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Unless someone inside the federal government continues to ensure the liquid nitrogen doesn’t totally evaporate, the samples will eventually defrost and begin to rot, according to three staff researchers who work with such materials.
    Caroline Haskins, Wired News, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Yields usually fall when fear is dominating markets, but their surprising earlier rise stirred fears that Trump’s trade war was degrading the U.S. bond market’s status as one of the world’s safest places to keep cash.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Unlike many other archaeological sites in Sweden, where acidic soil degrades organic material, Strandvägen’s conditions have allowed organic material to survive for many years, as Gummesson tells the publication.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But the alleged loopholes in the carrier’s security may refer to how hackers previously tried to bribe T-Mobile employees into engineering SIM swaps.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
  • His administration has even rolled back anti-corruption measures that prevent foreign governments from bribing U.S. government officials.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • It seems squarely aimed at making kids sick by discouraging vaccination.
    Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Steward said his daughter, while surfing nearby, became sick with an infection from a type of bacteria called MRSA, which is resistant to many antibiotics.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.
    Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • From the outset, Nortec’s work challenged conventions, subverting stereotypes of Mexican identity — like the outsider trope of the gun-slinging charro donning a weed plant shirt in a lawless Tijuana — while exploring new artistic terrain.
    Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Some accused him of overlooking the Democrats’ role in subverting democratic norms, citing, for example, President Obama’s embrace of executive power, or the Democratic attempt to filibuster Neil M. Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Evans' latest film, Havoc, stars Tom Hardy as Walker, an unsavory fixer tasked with protecting the son of real estate tycoon Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker) after the kid stumbles into a plot involving the Yakuza, crooked cops, and other assorted goons.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Rooker plays Steve, a crooked detective with a ruthless streak who holds the key to Hammer’s only weakness.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Corrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupt. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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