depravity

noun

di-ˈpra-və-tē How to pronounce depravity (audio)
Definition of depravitynext
1
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior regards the widespread acceptance of gambling as another sign of the depravity of today's society

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2
as in corruption
immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society a section of the city long known as den of depravity

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3
as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil the depravity of the demons and devils in many tales of horror

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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 depravity How slippery is the slope of depravity? — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026 Bardem is captivating and formidable, grinning with maniacal glee at his every act of depravity and the fear and anguish of his victims. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026 To think that the last girl in the Usui line would behave with such depravity! — Literary Hub, 28 May 2026 Marc makes an example of the penitent, powerless Jeanne, reminding the rest of his flock of the punishment for apostasy and using her rough time among the heathens as proof of why none under his control should ever want to trade his order for such modern sin and depravity. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for depravity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depravity
  1. degradation
  2. corruption
  3. badness
  4. sin
  5. sinfulness
  6. evil
  7. atrocity
  8. immorality
Noun
  • Oil theft is common in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, where decades of oil exploration have led to high levels of poverty and environmental degradation.
    — Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Persistent organic pollutants are toxic organic chemicals, usually synthetic but occasionally occurring naturally, that resist environmental degradation, persist in the environment for decades, and can be transported over long distances.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of degradation
Noun
  • At the center of the story is Rashid, a prison guard who has been suspended from his job after being accused of corruption.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Described as a combination of Filipino genre cinema with American indie grit, the film explores themes including class, power and corruption.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of corruption
Noun
  • On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder.
    — Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
  • The show premiered over Thanksgiving weekend, when people were tired and full and bored (and probably also horny), and countered our world’s unceasing badness with its world’s buoyant sweetness.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of badness
Noun
  • Any union that turns a blind eye when their own members commit that same sin is an embarrassment to organized labor.
    — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • For one thing covetousness, as opposed to the more concrete sins like theft or murder or adultery, is a thought crime, and almost all that goes on here, happens within the minds of the characters.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of sin
Noun
  • But soon after, in Genesis 18, God tells Abraham of plans to investigate reports of sinfulness in Sodom and Gomorrah.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.
    — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of sinfulness
Noun
  • Tehran has accepted inflation as a necessary evil to maintain its own spending.
    — Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Anna is a character who could easily be labeled unpleasant, mean and evil.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of evil
Noun
  • From the new arrivals, Dresdeners heard the harrowing tales of mass rapes, murders, and atrocities perpetrated by Russian soldiers eager for revenge.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But a drumbeat of doubt began in Elwood’s head in 2010 on a tour of Sarajevo, where Bosnian-Serb forces had committed atrocities during the war that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • Since the middle of the twentieth century, societies around the globe have undergone a collective revolution in standards and attitudes towards obscenity and immorality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Independents said the worst thing about Republicans was their loyalty to Trump (10%), perceptions of corruption and self-enrichment (8%), dishonesty, hypocrisy or immorality (7%), a lack of concern for ordinary people or cruelty (6%), and ineffective and weak or unqualified leadership (5%).
    — Emily Guskin, ABC News, 27 May 2026
Definition of immorality

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depraving
depravity
deprecate
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Cite this Entry

“Depravity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depravity. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on depravity

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about depravity

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