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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debauchery
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
The safe disappears into the debauchery of the wallpaper.
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Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Florida’s raucous spring break reputation is one the state may never shake, thanks to a slew of Hollywood movies dramatizing the debauchery of a college trip to Fort Lauderdale.
—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debauchery
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
The safe disappears into the debauchery of the wallpaper.
—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Florida’s raucous spring break reputation is one the state may never shake, thanks to a slew of Hollywood movies dramatizing the debauchery of a college trip to Fort Lauderdale.
—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debauchery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debauchery
Noun
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The council made similar appointments when Patrick Cannon stepped down in 2014 after he was indicted on public corruption charges and in 2013 when Anthony Foxx left the city to become the federal secretary of transportation.
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When self-interest matures into corruption, the machine begins to strain.
Noun
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What bothers me is the foot-dragging, the spinning in circles, the slow degradation of these characters into annoying stereotypes.
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Over time, this can increase electrical resistance, generate excess heat, and accelerate battery degradation.
Noun
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The playing of music in seventeenth-century genre paintings often suggests sensuality and pleasure of an easy, familiar kind.
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Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
Noun
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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%).
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Following this tendency might finally cure us not only of indigestion but also the ancient immorality of eating other organisms.
Noun
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Released at the tail end of Reaganomics, Carpenter’s most politically forward thriller now feels like a decoder ring for ’80s-era greed, detachment, complacency and ruthlessness.
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Does this show reveal more to me how the most vulnerable amongst us are suffering as a result of disinterest, apathy, greed?
Noun
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The continuation of the Corleone Family saga expands until Michael (Al Pacino) commits the ultimate brotherly sin, but the story’s jump back in time — in which Robert De Niro plays a younger version of Marlon Brando’s Vito — features many of the most iconic sequences in 1970s cinema.
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The movie’s gravest sin, though, might be its very existence.
Noun
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Food and Beverage Wrapped in cascades of cherry blossom, The Orchard Room reimagines afternoon tea with unapologetic hedonism—affectionately dubbed InfiniTEA.
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Such hedonism won’t fly in 2026, industry analysts told CNN.
Noun
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Peter Gosselin Washington Moyn’s article and the accompanying cover photograph—showing old people as malevolent and evil—were not up to the usual standards of Harper’s Magazine.
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Using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.
Cite this Entry
“Debauchery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debauchery. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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