1
as in to reduce
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
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 to humiliate
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
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
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 degrade
Donna Gordon Blankinship, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
This is dangerous and degrades our country -- where are Senate Republicans?
—Justin Gomez, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2026
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
The safety alert also offered guidance to students on recognizing possible hazing, including coercion, unsafe or degrading activities, or tasks presented as mandatory for joining a group.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025
Gladys Carrión, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
The protest has been viewed instead through the thick lens of ideology, producing a reaction that has been dismissive at best and, at worst, degrading to the Iranians themselves.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Verb
Others employ leaf blowers, taking care not to degrade the artificial turf.
—Donna Gordon Blankinship, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
This is dangerous and degrades our country -- where are Senate Republicans?
—Justin Gomez, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Sheriff Guidroz said the three inmates removed blocks from a degrading wall in the prison to create a hole, and used sheets to assist them in climbing down a wall and dropping to the ground.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
The safety alert also offered guidance to students on recognizing possible hazing, including coercion, unsafe or degrading activities, or tasks presented as mandatory for joining a group.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025
Verb
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, and the United Nations have all concluded that isolating children constitutes cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and in extreme cases, torture.
—Gladys Carrión, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
The protest has been viewed instead through the thick lens of ideology, producing a reaction that has been dismissive at best and, at worst, degrading to the Iranians themselves.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Adjective
-
With all of the furor over the halftime show, perhaps no one noticed two highly insulting events that directly affected the deaf audience.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The discontent was more widespread, more vociferous and more insulting this time.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Sure, the demeaning bigotry cannot be ignored, and the post was just after armed federal agents burst into a hotel room to arrest the unarmed Black journalist Don Lemon, and the National Park Service removed a slavery exhibit in Philadelphia.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Other Natives found the video demeaning when it was circulated.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Court documents show Shadbar, who is white, yelled several derogatory racist and sexist slurs at his neighbors and had regularly harassed the family, including firing blank rounds toward Robertson’s home and throwing an M-80 type of firework over the fence into her yard.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Oklahoma State’s win over BYU was overshadowed by allegations of derogatory fan chants.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When his father became abusive, his mother moved them to a hotel, and later an apartment, and raised Talarico in east Austin.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Related Stories Dunja, an unemployed teacher and single mom, is trying to reconstruct her life while coping with her abusive ex-husband Kemo, who’s in prison.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Conservative pundit Meghan McCain blasted commentator Tucker Carlson after a guest on his podcast and online show this week made a disparaging remark about her weight.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
5 Dec. 2025
-
Emily’s father didn’t say it in a disparaging way—more like That was just Ryan.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
After decades of maintaining his innocence, Vedam’s conviction was thrown out by a judge in August after it was revealed that prosecutors had withheld potentially critical ballistics evidence during his two trials.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
-
His final film earned universal critical acclaim, and was recognized as the best nonfiction film of 2023 by the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.—
Kevin Crust,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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