as in degraded
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
a book that examines the debased character of the criminal mind
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in corrupted
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
we debase ourselves when we adopt the moral code and behavior of our despised enemies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliated
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
our failure to win a single game completely debased us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debased
Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
And this has lent Margot a debased sort of celebrity.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026
But the influencer landscape is getting debased and splintered and a bit draining, even for Kylie.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
Now, several polls show that Wyomingites oppose killing wildlife with vehicles, which gives public officials in the next Legislative session an opening to prohibit this debased practice.
—Wendy Keefover, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
The script, penned by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, becomes bizarrely moralistic by the end, insinuating that the debased and debauched might perhaps see their problems solved by becoming domesticated.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026
In an era of debased and divisive politics, Jon Batiste is putting the pop back into populism.
—Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Dec. 2025
Only the first is still fashionable, and the last has been so debased, misused, and weaponized over the centuries as to be almost unspeakable in polite company.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Within this world no others exist, except as things to be debased.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Dogville, from 2003, is an experimental Lars von Trier film shot on a stage set in which Kidman plays a woman debased and abused by the inhabitants of a small town.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Unlike bonds, which promise repayment of the primary investment at a future date, warranting demands for higher yields to offset inflation concerns, gold is a physical asset that cannot be debased by fiscal mismanagement or political interference.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
That wasn’t its only subject; comedy and power and misogyny and creativity and intergenerational conflict and work ethic and, especially in its last few seasons, the debased state of the entertainment industry were all richly explored through lines.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
And this has lent Margot a debased sort of celebrity.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026
But the influencer landscape is getting debased and splintered and a bit draining, even for Kylie.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
Now, several polls show that Wyomingites oppose killing wildlife with vehicles, which gives public officials in the next Legislative session an opening to prohibit this debased practice.
—Wendy Keefover, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
The script, penned by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, becomes bizarrely moralistic by the end, insinuating that the debased and debauched might perhaps see their problems solved by becoming domesticated.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026
In an era of debased and divisive politics, Jon Batiste is putting the pop back into populism.
—Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Dec. 2025
Only the first is still fashionable, and the last has been so debased, misused, and weaponized over the centuries as to be almost unspeakable in polite company.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
Haphazardly propped on the ground with wiring and hardware exposed, the flags appear as symbols debased and emptied after centuries of misuse.
—Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Within this world no others exist, except as things to be debased.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Dogville, from 2003, is an experimental Lars von Trier film shot on a stage set in which Kidman plays a woman debased and abused by the inhabitants of a small town.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Unlike bonds, which promise repayment of the primary investment at a future date, warranting demands for higher yields to offset inflation concerns, gold is a physical asset that cannot be debased by fiscal mismanagement or political interference.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debased
Adjective
-
Even when degraded, enzymes have stable backbones that might be capable of catalyzing reactions, said Sudha Rajamani, an astrobiologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune who wasn’t involved in the study.—
Siddhant Pusdekar,
Quanta Magazine,
1 June 2026
-
According to the company, QTT enables highly secure and resilient position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services, helping maintain accurate timing and synchronization even when traditional GPS and radio-frequency signals are unavailable, degraded, or intentionally jammed.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Systems must remain safe not only when components fail naturally, but when data is corrupted, communication is interrupted or execution is violated.—
John Wall,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
And then Grisebach uses that distaff twist once again, to comment more broadly on the patriarchal nature and gendered violence of power structures corrupted by historical conflict.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Verb
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In the ongoing fight for women’s equal rights, Pawol had proved a female baseball umpire can be second-guessed, proved wrong and humiliated by technology and mocked by howling fans on social media just like a man can.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
-
Villanova humiliated UConn, winning 81-61, after building out a 31-point lead.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Fujimori is linked to the authoritarian and corrupt legacy of the government of her late father, Alberto Fujimori, in the 1990s.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
Of course, all of this convenient acquiescence will sound familiar in the United States, where our own Congress and Department of Justice have been nothing if not servile to a brazenly corrupt executive.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Since taking office in October 2024, President Prabowo Subianto has weakened the institutional guardrails that once constrained fiscal expansion and protected central‑bank independence.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Over the course of two summers, the Kings weakened the fulcrum of their roster by losing Matt Roy and Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency, then exacerbating matters by casting off Jordan Spence for a modest return.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Those accusations have long been discredited.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
-
After the war, his goalscoring statistics were deleted and his achievements were discredited, with the Polish press labelling him as mentally unstable and an alcoholic.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
One daycare worker had also called in sick that morning and another child was on the way.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an investigation notice and public health advisory on Thursday, June 4, after eight people became sick across three states.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The bureau said in May that her condition had deteriorated and medical devices and medications were supporting her lung and kidney functions, AFP reported.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Prices have steadily climbed as the cattle herd shrank to its lowest levels in 75 years, while the prospects for rebuilding supplies have deteriorated in recent weeks.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debased. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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