degrade

1 to bring to a lower grade or rank the view that such a system degrades doctors to the status of medical employees who ultimately are not in charge of their patients' health care Synonyms of degrade break, bust, demote, disrate, downgrade, reduceWords Related to degrade can, cashier, dismiss, downsize, fire, lay off, sack; abase, debase, demean, humble, humiliate, lowerNear Antonyms of degrade hireAntonyms of degrade advance, elevate, promote, raise

2 to lower in character, dignity, or quality degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume Synonyms of degrade abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debauch, debase, demean, demoralize, deprave, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, poison, profane, prostitute, subvert, vitiate, warpWords Related to degrade befoul, begrime, contaminate, defile, dilute, dirty, pollute, taint, thin, water down, weaken; descend; disgrace, dishonor, humble, humiliate, shame, take down; blemish, damage, deface, destroy, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, mar, ruin, spoil, stain, tarnish, wreck; depreciate, downgradeNear Antonyms of degrade dignify, exalt, honor; ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect; clarify, clean, cleanse, purify, refine, restore; respectAntonyms of degrade elevate, ennoble, uplift

3 to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes the players degraded themselves with their crude antics off the field Synonyms of degrade abase, chasten, cheapen, debase, humble, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, humiliate, lower, shame, sink, smirch, take downWords Related to degrade abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle; belittle, castigate, criticize, cry down, decry, depreciate, detract, diminish, discount, disparage, minimize, put down, ridicule, write off; bad-mouth, defame, defile, libel, malign, slander; affront, insult; censure, condemn, damn, denounce, execrate, reprehend, reprobateNear Antonyms of degrade acclaim, applaud, boast, celebrate, cheer, cite, commend, compliment, congratulate, decorate, eulogize, extol (also extoll), fete (or fête), hail, honor, laud, praise, salute, tout; acknowledge, recognize; highlight, play up, spotlight; dignify, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, glorify, magnify; advance, boost, lift, promote, raise, upgrade, uplift; idealize, romanticizeAntonyms of degrade aggrandize, canonize, deify, elevate, exalt