degraded 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈgrā-dəd How to pronounce degraded (audio)
Definition of degradednext
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards many observers deplored the fact that the city's festivities for Mardi Gras had become a degraded, drunken celebration

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degraded

2 of 2

verb

past tense of degrade
1
as in reduced
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

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2
as in deteriorated
to lower in character, dignity, or quality degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume

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3
as in humiliated
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

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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 degraded
Adjective
The hospital treats about 175 major pediatric spine cases per year, sparing patients from pain, and in some advanced cases, degraded lung function. — Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026 Energy analysts have consistently cautioned that raising Venezuelan output meaningfully will take years and billions of dollars in repairs to degraded infrastructure. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
One with the world To find out which parts of the brain were doing the work, the team replaced one network’s psilocybin activity with its sober version and checked how badly the classifier degraded. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 Oct. 2026 According to the nonprofit organization World Wildlife Fund, about 17 percent of the rainforest has been deforested, and about one-third of what remains has been degraded, including from the impacts of extreme drought. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for degraded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degraded
  1. corrupt
  2. reduced
  3. deteriorated
  4. humiliated
  5. sick
  6. demoted
  7. corrupted
  8. discredited
Adjective
  • Many progressives, led by Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, also believe that a global oligarchy poses a threat to democracy and see big business in defense, technology, and finance as part of a corrupt system.
    — THOMAS WRIGHT, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Donalds is just another gear in the Republican engine that is beholden to the wealthy the powerful and the corrupt — all at the expense of working-class Floridians.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • He was sentenced to four years’ probation and initially ordered to stay away from his ex-wife and two children for six years, which was later reduced to two years, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The film, set between the years 1945 and 1947, depicts a society struggling to recover from war, only to be reduced, once again, by the arrival of a kaiju (as giant monsters are known in Japanese, and to fans of the corresponding film genre).
    — Matt Alt, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • The restoration team replaced the building’s roof and windows, which had deteriorated over years of neglect.
    — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The dominance of drone warfare in this conflict makes aboveground travel extremely dangerous, and services and supplies have deteriorated sharply since May.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • From the very start, the students assigned as guards went on cruel power trips and repeatedly humiliated — if not psychologically tortured — the inmates, to the point that some of the prisoners suffered nervous breakdowns.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Packers come off an angry loss while the Panthers were humiliated on Sunday.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of humiliated
Adjective
  • Ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Ridly Greig was nursing his own lower-body injury, and Tyler Kleven was too sick to play.
    — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The state’s health department cautions that the true number is most certainly higher because not everyone who gets sick seeks medical care.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of sick
Verb
  • Noem later stepped down from her role, and Bovino was demoted.
    — Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Those who fail to scan the address verification QR code within seven days will see their account demoted to the free tier and be barred from joining any other Duo or Family plan for 12 months.
    — Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of demoted
Verb
  • At every stop, Talarico has argued that, for too long, the wealthy and their donations have corrupted politics, and that this corruption has fueled the affordability crisis.
    — STEVEN SLOAN, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • And that includes his warning that TV news has been corrupted by the agendas of the powerful, wealthy billionaires who now control a large portion of the media.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrupted
Verb
  • News of the briefing leaked, and the senators lashed out at the FBI, saying their efforts to scrutinize the Biden family had been discredited and falsely linked to Russian disinformation.
    — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The regime discredited the uncorroborated claims by having state media release photos of the 42-year-old dictator touring a clothing and footwear exhibition in Pyongyang with his wife and teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae.
    — Anna Coren, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of discredited

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Cite this Entry

“Degraded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degraded. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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