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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorating
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrading
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
The result is an altering of the model weight by a whopping 216, degrading model accuracy from 80 percent to 0.1 percent, said Gururaj Saileshwar, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and co-author of an academic paper demonstrating the attack.
—ArsTechnica, 14 July 2025
Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
People start degrading in health after age 60 or 65.
—Alice Park, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Adjective
In a degrading battery, the researchers observed two key signs of trouble.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
The result is an altering of the model weight by a whopping 216, degrading model accuracy from 80 percent to 0.1 percent, said Gururaj Saileshwar, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and co-author of an academic paper demonstrating the attack.
—ArsTechnica, 14 July 2025
Verb
The research revealed a strong correlation between microbial plastic-degrading potential and global plastic pollution levels, suggesting bacteria are adapting to what’s available.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
People start degrading in health after age 60 or 65.
—Alice Park, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrading
Adjective
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Altman seems to find the question insulting.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
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To educate all of them in similar ways is insulting, and silly.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Under the new terms of the license, Chevron was authorized to pay fees and royalties to Venezuela in oil but not in cash, effectively reducing Chevron’s crude exports from the country by half, according to Reuters.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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The initiative’s foundation addresses the problem of inconsistent and burdensome reporting by engaging the industry to define an optional (and non-exhaustive) questionnaire aimed at strengthening data quality and consistency while significantly reducing the administrative burden on suppliers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the last 28 years, Alaska's rural school districts have made close to 1,800 requests to the state for money to maintain and repair deteriorating schools, but only 14% of those requests have been approved.—
Emily Schwing,
NPR,
10 Nov. 2025
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Fiserv attributed its slowing growth to Argentina’s deteriorating economic environment, as the country last year contributed 10 percentage points to Fiserv’s 16% organic growth rate.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This announcement, humiliating the involved member, is harmful.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Considering this poor return (scoring points was a key target in demoting Doohan for Colapinto), Briatore acknowledged during the Dutch GP weekend that Alpine may have unnecessarily burdened its young Argentine driver.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Spirit has been looking for ways to slash costs, including furloughing and demoting hundreds more pilots and cutting unprofitable routes.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Elites stirred up a now familiar moral panic about commerce corrupting letters and mocked Grub Street even as its writers built the first modern freelance economy and mass-print culture.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Nov. 2025
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But the church also taught that the power of music could be corrupting.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To be put in this category is discrediting.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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Already, Cuba’s top diplomats have been sharing propaganda content discrediting Machado as a warmonger.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In a post dripping with arrogance, Lynch dished out demeaning nicknames for her recent opponents.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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But parading around half-naked at competitions felt demeaning.—
Sean Williams,
Outside,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degrading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrading. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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