deprave

Synonym Chooser

How is the word deprave different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of deprave are corrupt, debase, debauch, pervert, and vitiate. While all these words mean "to cause deterioration or lowering in quality or character," deprave implies moral deterioration by evil thoughts or influences.

the claim that society is depraved by pornography

Where would corrupt be a reasonable alternative to deprave?

The meanings of corrupt and deprave largely overlap; however, corrupt implies loss of soundness, purity, or integrity.

the belief that bureaucratese corrupts the language

When can debase be used instead of deprave?

While the synonyms debase and deprave are close in meaning, debase implies a loss of position, worth, value, or dignity.

commercialism has debased the holiday

In what contexts can debauch take the place of deprave?

Although the words debauch and deprave have much in common, debauch implies a debasing through sensual indulgence.

the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew

When might pervert be a better fit than deprave?

In some situations, the words pervert and deprave are roughly equivalent. However, pervert implies a twisting or distorting from what is natural or normal.

perverted the original goals of the institute

When is vitiate a more appropriate choice than deprave?

While in some cases nearly identical to deprave, vitiate implies a destruction of purity, validity, or effectiveness by allowing entrance of a fault or defect.

a foreign policy vitiated by partisanship

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deprave The company goes on to say the infringing product depraves Levi’s its rights to use and control its trademark and maintain its reputation with consumers, licensees and collaborators and allows others to believe the distinctive features of the Tab trademark may be misappropriated for their use. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Jan. 2025 They are depraved on account of being deprived. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024 All writings, unpalatable for one section of the society, cannot be labeled as obscene, vulgar, depraving, prurient and immoral. . . . Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2019 This is especially true when the news operation is clearly on the side of righteousness against a policy as depraved this. David Zurawik, baltimoresun.com, 15 June 2018 This series follows the trails of their obsession, and takes a deep dive into the killers’ depraved psyches to reveal their darkest secrets as investigators close in to end the killer’s reign of terror. Michael O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2018 McDonagh complicates Mildred's story by showing how the lust for justice can grow depraved the longer it is denied — a favorite subject of dramatists going back to Aeschylus. Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 1 Mar. 2018 As depraved a forum as Twitter can be at times, one of its redeeming characteristics is its users' penchant for outing liars in real time. Matthew Martinez, star-telegram, 18 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deprave
Verb
  • Democrats and civil libertarians said Trump corrupted the system of justice by getting involved.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Of course, what that sets up, in the game of Survivor, is someone ready to be corrupted.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, disease and human activity, such as pollution, have severely degraded Florida's reefs, according to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The team’s goal is to track and predict how asphalt roads degrade.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For investors, even opposition threats of repeal weaken confidence by raising doubts about long-term policy stability.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • While his core supporters remain loyal, sustained disapproval among the broader public could weaken his leverage in negotiations with Congress and erode confidence in his leadership.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The dark comedy follows a wealthy socialite, Stacy (Cherry), and a struggling writer, Becky (Chalotra), who are brought together at a lavish, debauched New York party.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The atmosphere, at once debauched and sombre, felt like a wake, one attendee said.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The real fiends were the ones who perverted science, who attacked this misunderstood giant out of fear, who branded him as something unholy and unworthy to exist, who gave him life but didn’t give him love.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Aware of this injustice, companies are hiring lawyers and influence peddlers to bolster their MAGA credentials and pervert traditional law enforcement.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, said the plan outlined subverted Congress's power outlined in the Constitution, controlling how government money is spent, according to Reuters.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Omerzu and his team aren’t above deploying romantic backlighting for midnight kisses and some of the clichés of young-love cinema, but thankfully that’s only to subvert them as the film goes on.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Lord Lovat is utterly humiliated and this turns out to be a major problem for Brian.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
  • There’s always a moment in which somebody humiliates the villain and now all the love in him is gone.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Krishna discovers that Kaliya is living beneath the surface of a local pond and poisoning its waters with his venom.
    Seamus Sullivan September 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Authorities said Boytsov is also accused of poisoning his wife, who is one of the deceased, with the alcohol.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deprave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deprave. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

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