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
Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Many ethicists focus on preventing worst-case AI scenarios, such as rogue models and mass unemployment, while ignoring deeper questions about how the technology might degrade our humanity or undermine our sense of purpose.
—Elias Wachtel, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Were Fidel Castro’s efforts to free his people from the degrading influences of foreigners meant to be erased by a president who, instead of allowing Cuba to struggle with its problems, added to them by cutting its oil supply?
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Israel appears to have taken the lead on assassinating even low-level figures linked to Iran’s nuclear program while systematically degrading the knowledge centers that could prove useful in the future.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Verb
Silicon’s performance degrades badly at high temperatures.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Many ethicists focus on preventing worst-case AI scenarios, such as rogue models and mass unemployment, while ignoring deeper questions about how the technology might degrade our humanity or undermine our sense of purpose.
—Elias Wachtel, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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, 18 Mar. 2026
Were Fidel Castro’s efforts to free his people from the degrading influences of foreigners meant to be erased by a president who, instead of allowing Cuba to struggle with its problems, added to them by cutting its oil supply?
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
The situation has caused a pile-on of speculation and allegations—including from some of its competitors—that the company is purposely degrading performance owing to a lack of compute capacity.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Israel appears to have taken the lead on assassinating even low-level figures linked to Iran’s nuclear program while systematically degrading the knowledge centers that could prove useful in the future.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Adjective
-
The mayor at the time, Dean Koldenhoven, vetoed the buyout, calling it insulting to Muslims.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
For filmmakers who view their individual work as the center of gravity, this can sit somewhere between confusing and insulting.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Leadership was abusive, inappropriate and demeaning, employees told The Denver Post.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The 31-year-old man was charged Wednesday with malicious destruction of property and possessing substances to operate a meth lab.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Court records show that 31-year-old Xin Tong was charged with malicious destruction of a building over $20,000 and operating/maintaining a lab involving methamphetamine.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The California Racial Mascots Act, passed in the State Assembly by a 62-0 vote and signed in 2024, requires that public schools K-12 remove Native American team names, nicknames and mascots that could be viewed as derogatory.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In its public messaging, OpenAI has been indifferent or even somewhat derogatory toward Anthropic.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In this best-selling memoir, Foo investigates the repercussions of complex PTSD (C-PTSD) caused by her abusive parents and her subsequent estrangement from each of them in turn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Someone that was that abusive to children in plain sight doesn’t deserve to be celebrated as a human being.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While Trump’s talk of a possible NATO pullout dates back years, the comments to The Telegraph newspaper in the U.K., published Wednesday, were among the clearest and most disparaging yet — suggesting that the fracture has deepened perhaps to a point of no return.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.—
Joe Garofoli,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Three residents died at the scene, while five more were hospitalized with critical injuries, FDNY officials said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
As Mercury squares Pluto, feedback or a conversation may feel more intense or critical than expected.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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