degrade

verb

de·​grade di-ˈgrād 

dē-

degraded; degrading; degrades

transitive verb

1

a

: to lower in grade, rank, or status : demote

b

: to strip of rank or honors

c

: to lower to an inferior or less effective level

degrade the image quality

d

: to scale down in desirability or salability

2

a

: to bring to low esteem or into disrepute

Their actions have degraded their profession.

comments intended to humiliate and degrade others

b

: to drag down in moral or intellectual character : corrupt

… impelled, by misfortune and misery, to the vice that has degraded them.

—Charles Dickens

3

: to impair in respect to some physical property

material degraded by exposure to sunlight

4

geology : to wear down by erosion

degraded the hillside

5

chemistry : to reduce the complexity of (a chemical compound) : decompose

intransitive verb

1

: to pass from a higher grade or class to a lower

causes the meat to degrade in quality

2

of a chemical compound : to become reduced in complexity

plastics that don't easily degrade

degrader noun

Did you know?

In Shakespeare's King Lear, the old king is degraded by the daughters he has given his kingdom to. He finds it degrading, for instance, when the number of his guards is reduced from 100 to 25. His degradation seems complete when, after going mad, he's reduced to living in the wilderness. As you can see, degrade is often a synonym for humiliate.

Synonyms

• break
• bust
• demote
• disrate
• downgrade
• reduce

Examples of degrade in a Sentence

The group accuses the company of degrading women in its ads.

He felt degraded by their remarks.

Scratches on a camera lens will degrade the image.

Pollution has degraded air quality.

Recent Examples on the Web

The best view was right in front of the projector, with the image quality degrading only slightly from very sharp angles. —L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023

If cell types in various tissues develop at different rates, would their proteins degrade at different rates, too? Michael Dorrity at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg was digging into that question by thinking about how temperature affects development. —Quanta Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023

Many of these false listings tout the opportunity to do drugs with or even be verbally degraded by specific celebs. —Angela Yang, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2023

Potency Understanding the factors that can degrade the potency of delta 8 products is essential for proper storage: Exposure to Light: As mentioned earlier, exposure to light can break down cannabinoids, reducing their effectiveness over time. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2023

Overgrazing degraded the rangelands, and mesquite and creosote bushes crowded out native grasses. —Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023

That can trigger an immune response: Because plastics can’t be degraded, white blood cells die in the battle, causing inflammation. —Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 15 Sep. 2023

Since oil degrades latex, getting massage oil on a latex condom or dental dam can prevent your barrier from doing its job. —Ro White, SELF, 15 Sep. 2023

The company’s cat-state qubits currently degrade in 10 seconds. —IEEE Spectrum, 13 Sep. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French degrader, from Late Latin degradare, from Latin de- + gradus step, grade — more at grade entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

degrade

verb

de·​grade di-ˈgrād 

1

: to reduce from a higher to a lower rank or degree : deprive of an office or position

2

: to lower the character of : debase

3

: to reduce the complexity of a chemical compound : decompose

degradable

-ˈgrād-ə-bəl

adjective

degrader noun

Medical Definition

degrade

transitive verb

de·​grade di-ˈgrād 

degraded; degrading

: to reduce the complexity of (a chemical compound) by splitting off one or more groups or larger components : decompose

cellulose is degraded by the action of some bacteria

intransitive verb

: to undergo chemical degradation