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debauchery

noun

di-ˈbȯ-chə-rē How to pronounce debauchery (audio)
Definition of debaucherynext
1
as in corruption
immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society the fraternity brothers indulged in shameless debauchery all weekend

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior the minister decried what he called the debauchery of today's society

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3
as in sensuality
excessive pursuit of fleshly pleasures a night of drinking and debauchery at the gentleman's club

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 debauchery Children are well catered for, adults can oscillate between wellness and mild debauchery, and the sheer variety of spaces means groups can coexist without being on top of one another. — Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 15 June 2026 But that’s downright quaint compared to the opulent shindigs and fabled debauchery of the home’s previous owner. — Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026 But this Roundabout production at Studio 54 — the site of glittering debauchery of another era — just isn’t all that much fun, being mostly effortful, maddening and finally exhausting. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026 Set the scene Pigalle, situated at the foot of Montmartre, may have shaken off its reputation for debauchery but the neighborhood nonetheless preserves a seductive energy, a holdover from its red-light-district days. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for debauchery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debauchery
  1. corruption
  2. degradation
  3. sensuality
  4. immorality
  5. greed
  6. sin
  7. hedonism
  8. evil
Noun
  • Because of the high likelihood of corruption, our devices encode messages with enough redundancy that they can be pieced together by the receiving machine despite the errors incurred in transit.
    — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Miami Vice ’85, with a screenplay by Dan Gilroy, explores the glamour and corruption of mid-1980s Miami in an all-new version of Miami Vice, inspired by the pilot episode of the landmark 1984-90 NBC series.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of corruption
Noun
  • Plus, the prototype cells showed almost zero degradation over 1,160 hours at a simulated depth of 10 meters off the Weizhou Islands in the South China Sea.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, select a narrow, high-ROI operational challenge, such as predicting transformer degradation or detecting unannounced EV chargers.
    — Abhay Gupta, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of degradation
Noun
  • But Northeast’s performance, which emanates joy and a guileless sensuality, deserves to be as much of a launchpad to stardom.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Their design vernaculars seemed to have always been in conversation, with their understanding of sensuality existing in parallel spaces, even if their expression of it was different.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sensuality
Noun
  • Since the middle of the twentieth century, societies around the globe have undergone a collective revolution in standards and attitudes towards obscenity and immorality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Independents said the worst thing about Republicans was their loyalty to Trump (10%), perceptions of corruption and self-enrichment (8%), dishonesty, hypocrisy or immorality (7%), a lack of concern for ordinary people or cruelty (6%), and ineffective and weak or unqualified leadership (5%).
    — Emily Guskin, ABC News, 27 May 2026
Definition of immorality
Noun
  • Today, the pitchforks are out, and who else better represents the hubris and greed of late-stage capitalism?
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The show’s noir movie aesthetics still serve its story of political ambition, where revenge is disguised as justice and greed hidden behind lofty lies of patriotism.
    — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of greed
Noun
  • So lets unpack all the sins and consequences, starting with those tied to the case John just closed.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Some Jews may pray near a body of water in a Tashlich ceremony, tossing pieces of bread or other food into the water to symbolize sending off sins.
    — Bailey Allen, The Providence Journal, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of sin
Noun
  • But what promises to be a night of hedonism quickly becomes something much more complicated, as Frankie and Taylor are forced to confront what has been left unsaid about their friendship and respective futures.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The drug’s relative obscurity has allowed its champions to shake off the baggage of the nineteen-sixties, and to position its use, not as hippie hedonism but as a medical intervention compatible with patriotic duty and Christian faith.
    — Michelle Lhooq, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of hedonism
Noun
  • In my ideal world there would be dozens of essay collections by excellent writers (Choi is a poet) on culture and politics, technology and the evils of capitalism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Early in the outbreak, Tedros talked about having visited the outbreak zone and being struck by the fact that many people seemed to view Ebola as a lesser of evils.
    — Helen Branswell, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of evil

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Cite this Entry

“Debauchery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debauchery. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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