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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debased
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
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
But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 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
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
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
But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 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
-
About 200 had been recorded by experts over the following centuries, but the remaining messages were too degraded to read — until RTI brought them into focus.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Looking ahead, the Few & Far team is working to restore more than 200,000 acres of land in the area, replant degraded forests, and safeguard endangered wildlife.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
He’s corrupted from the inside by a system that has no regard for his humanity.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
During closing arguments that spanned two days, prosecutors drove home their argument that Jones and Dowling purposely corrupted Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chair-to-be Sam Randazzo for their own benefit.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At one point in his teenage years, Diaz was publicly humiliated by the football team who forcefully shaved his curly hair.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And right now, these corrupt billionaires, these greedy corporations, are determining all avenues of our life, all types of policies.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Just as all British became painted as corrupt as part of their national character, so too did all Native people become seen as savage by their biological nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Israel significantly weakened the organization in military strikes and assassinations throughout late 2024.—
Asher Kaufman,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, Democrats in Crespo’s northwest suburban district and Benton’s southwest suburban district are voting for representatives whose ability to make a difference in the Capitol has been significantly weakened due to internal party politics.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Election experts widely discredited the review as shoddy and partisan.—
Benjamin Swasey,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
-
After storms and flooding across Spain, Poland and the United States in late 2024, Moscow worked to claim that support for Ukraine had left countries vulnerable, stoked grievances in NATO countries and discredited Western democracies.—
Michael Chertoff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In California courts, sick and dying workers are suing quartz slab makers and countertop vendors — including several Bay Area shops, along with Home Depot, Lowe’s and Costco.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
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The union representing the city’s subway workers has filed suit against the MTA, arguing that transit agency honchos failed to get proper public comment before deciding not to back-fill sick subway station agents.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Any residual good will between the Pentagon and Anthropic soon fully deteriorated.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But into her sixties and seventies her physical health deteriorated.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debased. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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