as in degenerate
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
he felt rather washed-up after this latest business failure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 washed-up
Hacks season 5 Five years ago, Ava (Hannah Einbinder) struggled to accept her lot in life when she was hired to be washed-up comedian Deborah Vance's (Jean Smart) new writer.
—
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
The film, about a group of revolutionaries who reunite to help one of their own — Bob Ferguson, a washed-up, paranoid stoner — rescue his daughter from their longtime enemy, has a lot to say about our fraught, divisive reality.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025
Last offseason, the Washington Capitals signed several players seen as washed-up or underachieving.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Apr. 2025
Advertisement This is what happened last year when their most significant trade-deadline pickup was washed-up pitcher Lance Lynn, or the year before when their major summer acquisition was strikeout-prone outfielder Joey Gallo.
Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw returns to the Dodgers.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
Forget washed-up — Escola might not yet be a widely recognizable name, but the 37-year-old is on track to become one of the most original and influential voices in the alternative comedy scene.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
The film, about a group of revolutionaries who reunite to help one of their own — Bob Ferguson, a washed-up, paranoid stoner — rescue his daughter from their longtime enemy, has a lot to say about our fraught, divisive reality.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025
Last offseason, the Washington Capitals signed several players seen as washed-up or underachieving.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Apr. 2025
Advertisement This is what happened last year when their most significant trade-deadline pickup was washed-up pitcher Lance Lynn, or the year before when their major summer acquisition was strikeout-prone outfielder Joey Gallo.
Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw returns to the Dodgers.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
Forget washed-up — Escola might not yet be a widely recognizable name, but the 37-year-old is on track to become one of the most original and influential voices in the alternative comedy scene.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washed-up
Adjective
-
German Expressionism and Surrealism, deemed degenerate by Nazis and Soviets alike, show up in stylized figuration, spatial distortion, and a dreamlike atmosphere.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Prisons are filled with the faithful and the daily news reports are overflowing with reprehensible, criminal, degenerate theists.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Discard any that look dead or decayed.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The farm buildings on the property—long verandas, shearing sheds, and concrete kennels—are old and decayed, remnants from long before the group showed up.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Small hail is possible, and an isolated weak/brief tornado can't be ruled out.—
Mary Ours,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Sean McMorris, transparency, ethics and accountability program manager with California Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog, said in an email Friday that heavy reliance on outside vendors can increase the risk of fraud or mismanagement if oversight is weak.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At its proudly overripe heart, the series is a gothic domestic soap—Lifetime themes gussied up in Southern finery.—
Inkoo Kang,
The New Yorker,
31 Oct. 2022
-
But at the end of 2021, S&P profits already looked overripe.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2022
Adjective
-
The Golden State was hit with some of its worst droughts in 2021 and 2022, causing low water flows and degraded river conditions.—
Chaewon Chung
April 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Tree planting remained an important component, but the vision became broader, with more focus on cultivating arid, degraded land - like the mountains around Kourtimale or the Ferlo valley.—
Julie Bourdin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Scarf critics accuse the accessory—and by extension, its wearers—of being effete or affected.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
1 Dec. 2025
-
What we’re left with is an effete description that exists for itself and doesn’t illuminate the character.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This recipe combines both peaches and blueberries to create one decadent summertime treat.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
-
An elevated breakfast spot known for its upscale takes on decadent comfort food, the two-year-old hangout has a menu loaded with Grand Marnier pancakes, brioche eggs Benedict and more.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Washed-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washed-up. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
