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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrading
Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
Cotton also gets softer with every wash instead of pilling or degrading — a durability advantage synthetic blends can’t match.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 8 June 2026
Damaged pans may be harder to use safely and may continue degrading with heat, cleaning and metal utensils.
—Ryan Brennan
june 2, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Adjective
Most people acclimate within a week or two, and cotton gets softer with every wash rather than pilling or degrading.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
Cotton also gets softer with every wash instead of pilling or degrading — a durability advantage synthetic blends can’t match.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
The need-to-know this morning Roche is partnering with Nurix Therapeutics to co-develop an experimental antibody treatment that works by degrading, or eliminating, a protein called BTK that is associated with blood cancer and other diseases.
—Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 8 June 2026
Damaged pans may be harder to use safely and may continue degrading with heat, cleaning and metal utensils.
—Ryan Brennan
june 2, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrading
Adjective
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These character endnotes, whether they’re read as youthful naiveté or an insulting interpretation of youthful naiveté, contribute to the finale’s bitter aftertaste.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
1 June 2026
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The comments were not well received, with locals telling BBC Scotland News that the description was insulting and did not reflect the people in the area.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 May 2026
Verb
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This battery system will enable up to 12 hours of silent scientific operations powered entirely by batteries, reducing both emissions and underwater noise that can interfere with sensitive marine research.—
Dea Jusufi,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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According to the researchers, the catalyst weakens excessive bonding between iron sites and hydroxyl intermediates, allowing the reaction to proceed more smoothly and reducing one of the major bottlenecks in zinc-air battery operation.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The track shouldn’t do that The problem was a new patch of tarmac that apparently wasn’t up to scratch and started deteriorating under the cars’ tires.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
8 June 2026
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Yet many investors and strategists say foreign selling has less to do with deteriorating fundamentals and more to do with the market's own success.—
Sean Conlon,Joseph Wilkins,Tanaya Macheel,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
New Yorkers will recall the assholic behavior of the Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, a swaggering builder of ships, who always seemed to delight in humiliating his managers and players.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
11 June 2026
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In her report, Soto accused Sibrian of allegedly mocking and humiliating her for her accent, immigration status and race and calling her stupid.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Some of the women interviewed for the article claimed that Platner could be demeaning to women and, in at least one case, even physically threatening.—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
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Despite the demeaning work, Laura, a local woman, has risen to middle management through unyielding determination.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Back in 2018, Molitor said demoting Sanó was one of the most difficult decisions of his career.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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Biden opted to make South Carolina the Democrats’ first-in-the-nation primary state, advancing Nevada and Michigan in the schedule while dropping Iowa and demoting New Hampshire.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
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If the Knicks had that happen to them, everyone would be discrediting them.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrading. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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