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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
After being sentenced to 10 years in prison and spending some time behind bars — plus enduring a lengthy trial — Tortora’s conviction was eventually fully overturned by Italy’s Supreme Court in 1987 amid widespread belief that the TV host had been the victim of corrupt judges and prosecutors. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025 For example, the agency might become corrupt and those running AGI start to use the AGI for their own nefarious purposes. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025 This comes as reports continue to roll in that another August update fail has been corrupting PC SSDs when writing large files. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for corrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupt
Adjective
  • Smoke will also lead to degraded air quality.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The challenge grows in degraded or denied GPS environments, where many existing bombs lose precision.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • People are assigning themselves homework to combat brain rot and improve their attention spans.
    Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Warm conditions produce more food for these microbes, which thrive in rotting vegetation, as is found in tropical wetlands and thawing Arctic permafrost.
    Katherine Bourzac, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Today’s batteries depend on scarce resources like lithium and cobalt and degrade over time.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
  • These perform well at low to medium heat, but begin to degrade around 500 °F, potentially releasing harmful fumes that can pose health risks.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • However, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) would have the power to overrule decisions from independent agencies dedicated to consumer protection, alarming critics who fear AI companies could bribe officials through political donations to void laws.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
  • According to court records, Recio agreed to bribe Costanzo, who was the DEA supervisor in Miami, in exchange for his providing the private investigator with confidential information about narcotics investigations.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But many Americans who don't meet the new criteria do still want to get vaccinated to avoid getting sick or spreading the virus to vulnerable family members.
    Rob Stein, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Harry, who served in the British Armed Forces for 10 years, launched The Invictus Games in London in 2014 to honor active duty and veteran service members who have been wounded, injured or sick on the job.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Colorful spots on Cheyava Falls contain the mineral greigite, which some microbes on Earth excrete, and vivianite, which is often found around decaying organic matter.
    David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The rest resides for a time in lumber, which in the case of redwood is mostly used for picnic tables, fences and decks that all too soon decay and release the remaining carbon.
    John P. O’Brien, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Those tactics are also used to generate funds meant to help the regime subvert international sanctions and develop its nuclear weapons programs, according to the US government.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Consistently subverting audience expectations, Don’t Breathe features an incredibly twisted game of cat-and-mouse.
    Yasmeen Hamadeh, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Their boss, the only one not carrying a blaster, pointed a long crooked finger at Rusty and all the Blasters were raised at Rusty in unison.
    Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • For a Chicago Cubs lineup that has struggled lately to consistently score runs, let alone put up a crooked number, Friday’s opener against the Colorado Rockies provided the ideal bounce-back environment coming off the sweep in San Francisco.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Corrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupt. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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