Synonyms of debauch

debauch

verb

di-ˈbȯch 

as in to degrade

to lower in character, dignity, or quality

the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew to the point where they no longer acted like naval professionals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• degrade
• corrupt
• poison
• debase
• humiliate
• weaken
• pervert
• subvert
• deprave
• deteriorate
• prostitute
• ruin
• destroy
• dilute
• demean
• vitiate
• damage
• disgrace
• abase
• demoralize
• profane
• dirty
• lessen
• cheapen
• mar
• taint
• pollute
• bastardize
• canker
• shame
• warp
• contaminate
• impair
• humble
• hurt
• harm
• wreck
• defile
• water down
• dishonor
• spoil
• thin
• tarnish
• befoul
• flaw
• stain
• begrime
• descend
• deface
• take down
• depreciate
• downgrade
• blemish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• honor
• uplift
• elevate
• improve
• better
• ennoble
• exalt
• enhance
• perfect
• enrich
• amend
• ameliorate
• dignify
• restore
• cleanse
• clean
• refine
• purify
• clarify
• respect
• meliorate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word debauch different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of debauch are corrupt, debase, deprave, pervert, and vitiate. While all these words mean "to cause deterioration or lowering in quality or character," debauch implies a debasing through sensual indulgence.

the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew

When would corrupt be a good substitute for debauch?

While the synonyms corrupt and debauch are close in meaning, corrupt implies loss of soundness, purity, or integrity.

the belief that bureaucratese corrupts the language

Where would debase be a reasonable alternative to debauch?

The synonyms debase and debauch are sometimes interchangeable, but debase implies a loss of position, worth, value, or dignity.

commercialism has debased the holiday

When could deprave be used to replace debauch?

Although the words deprave and debauch have much in common, deprave implies moral deterioration by evil thoughts or influences.

the claim that society is depraved by pornography

When is pervert a more appropriate choice than debauch?

While in some cases nearly identical to debauch, pervert implies a twisting or distorting from what is natural or normal.

perverted the original goals of the institute

When might vitiate be a better fit than debauch?

The words vitiate and debauch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vitiate implies a destruction of purity, validity, or effectiveness by allowing entrance of a fault or defect.

a foreign policy vitiated by partisanship

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of debauch

The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts. —Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026

The dark comedy follows a wealthy socialite, Stacy (Cherry), and a struggling writer, Becky (Chalotra), who are brought together at a lavish, debauched New York party. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025

The atmosphere, at once debauched and sombre, felt like a wake, one attendee said. —Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025

But as commercialization took hold, the event metastasized into a pit of hard drugs, drunkenness, and debauch a world apart from its bohemian origins. —Charlie Campbell, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025

In season two, when Mike White’s series decamped to Sicily, the credits riffed on Italian frescoes that got increasingly debauched — with a beat drop from opera to EDM. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2025

Life is debauched and consistent, until that handsome twentysomething gent wanders into Lee’s favorite watering hole. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024