as in perverts
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
a degenerate who is uninterested in anything but his own gratification
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of degenerates
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
In all vertebrates, the thymus degenerates very rapidly with age.
—
Mallory Locklear,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Ike Barinholtz may play degenerates well, but, off screen, the writer, comedian and star is something of a trivia savant.
—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess.
—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
27 Dec. 2025
If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting?
—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
Once Gacy is caught, the media runs with the details — all those bodies crammed in that crawlspace, some of them buried in trenches Gacy made his employees dig out — and paints his victims as runaways or degenerates who put themselves in danger.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
The product exploded, generating trillions and minting a new class of crypto degenerates who were willing to take massive risks that, occasionally, resulted in millions.
—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
In all vertebrates, the thymus degenerates very rapidly with age.
—
Mallory Locklear,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Ike Barinholtz may play degenerates well, but, off screen, the writer, comedian and star is something of a trivia savant.
—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess.
—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
27 Dec. 2025
If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting?
—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
Once Gacy is caught, the media runs with the details — all those bodies crammed in that crawlspace, some of them buried in trenches Gacy made his employees dig out — and paints his victims as runaways or degenerates who put themselves in danger.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Volume 1 about a troubled pregnant woman who accepts an invite to a dinner party which degenerates into a bloody and demented nightmare.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerates
Noun
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Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.
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Also, what many now interpret as Kubrick’s exposé of elite perverts was, in fact, mostly Schnitzler’s doing.
Verb
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The delivery was a glimmer of good news in a living situation that deteriorates by the day.
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Breaking them down to save for a later date isn’t enough, as bugs will still nestle their way in even as the cardboard deteriorates.
Verb
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This is the leader who descends into the weeds, confirming every detail, not because the situation demands it but because something inside needs reassurance.
-
The virtual oar-yanking celebration in a baseball atmosphere was one of those weird juxtapositions that seem to get fostered whenever a World Cup fanbase descends upon a host city.
Verb
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That is the moment that everything crumbles for Rachel.
-
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.
Verb
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The condition also worsens over time.
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Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that worsens over time and occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred, according to Mayo Clinic.
Verb
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Economists have warned that the revenue bump is potentially temporary and analysts say the growth in state spending could leave California in a challenging position if the economy declines.
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For Markiplier, the last few months have been a study in what happens when a creator with 36 million subscribers walks through Hollywood’s front door and declines to become its creature.
Cite this Entry
“Degenerates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerates. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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