as in insulting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
made degrading comments about his so-called friend behind his back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in reducing
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorating
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in humiliating
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrading
Nick Nuttall, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The viewers are confronted with the testimonies of Sabouni, Mahmoud Kadah, Abdelkafi Alhaj, Mohammad Hamki and Abdelhamid Jadou, all of whom suffered horrific, degrading treatment.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Now both the stock and value of its human capital is degrading, and almost no one is doing anything to stop it.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Adjective
Currently the funds spent by governments and the private sector on destroying biodiversty and degrading cosystems like forests and seagrasses are 30 times larger than the flows supporting conservation, restoration and protection of the natural world.
—Nick Nuttall, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The viewers are confronted with the testimonies of Sabouni, Mahmoud Kadah, Abdelkafi Alhaj, Mohammad Hamki and Abdelhamid Jadou, all of whom suffered horrific, degrading treatment.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
Some are achievable, such as degrading Iran’s conventional force.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Now both the stock and value of its human capital is degrading, and almost no one is doing anything to stop it.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrading
Adjective
-
While their insulting jabs at each other make for good laughs, their arc as teammates learning to work together is what gives the film its heart.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Prestianni, who has denied racially insulting Vinícius and has been defended by Benfica, was provisionally suspended for one match by UEFA and did not play in the second leg.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By influencing two metabolic pathways, both medications may similarly improve blood sugar control while also reducing appetite.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is pivotal in reducing the risk of wildfires during these hazardous conditions.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
First, can spores and nutrients in a solid form be mixed in a workable concrete without deteriorating it?—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The alert, issued Monday morning, warns residents in Sunriver, Camp Sherman, Sisters and La Pine to prepare for dangerous travel and rapidly deteriorating conditions once the heavy snow strikes.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some, like Zdorovetskiy, have been accused of assaulting and humiliating their targets as viewers push for violence.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
-
First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In late January, the president put border czar Tom Homan in charge of the crackdown, effectively demoting the Border Patrol’s Greg Bovino.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Tampa Bay gave up on Bradley at age 24, demoting him to the minors in his third MLB season and trading him to the Twins at last year’s deadline.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For Hildegard of Bingen, the German mystic, scientist, composer, and philosopher, women’s maternal bodies were not corrupting and degrading, but strong, nurturing, and creative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In his Phaedrus, Plato attacked reading as corrupting true philosophical dialectic.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Henry’s wife Yasmin (Marisa Abela) ultimately convinces Hayley to accuse Dycker of assault, discrediting his story about Tender, and weaponizing #MeToo-era politics.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
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Supporters of Pahlavi were particularly vocal in Mashhad this month, as attested by the prevalence of pro-monarchy graffiti on city walls, and the regime’s propaganda devoted particular attention to discrediting the former crown prince.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Walter White, executive secretary of the NAACP, lobbied the film studios in 1942 to stop portraying Blacks in demeaning, stereotypical roles, specifically citing Fetchit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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That framing, whether intentional or not, is disrespectful, dismissive and demeaning.—
Terri Freeman,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrading. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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