DEBASED Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

debased 1 of 2

adjective

as in degraded

having or showing lowered moral character or standards a book that examines the debased character of the criminal mind

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debased

2 of 2

verb

past tense of debase

as in corrupted

to lower in character, dignity, or quality we debase ourselves when we adopt the moral code and behavior of our despised enemies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in humiliated

to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes our failure to win a single game completely debased us

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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 debased

Adjective

That wasn’t its only subject; comedy and power and misogyny and creativity and intergenerational conflict and work ethic and, especially in its last few seasons, the debased state of the entertainment industry were all richly explored through lines. — Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026 And this has lent Margot a debased sort of celebrity. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026 But the influencer landscape is getting debased and splintered and a bit draining, even for Kylie. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026 Now, several polls show that Wyomingites oppose killing wildlife with vehicles, which gives public officials in the next Legislative session an opening to prohibit this debased practice. — Wendy Keefover, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026 The script, penned by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, becomes bizarrely moralistic by the end, insinuating that the debased and debauched might perhaps see their problems solved by becoming domesticated. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026 In an era of debased and divisive politics, Jon Batiste is putting the pop back into populism. — Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Dec. 2025 Only the first is still fashionable, and the last has been so debased, misused, and weaponized over the centuries as to be almost unspeakable in polite company. — Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025

Verb

The bulk of these are in regions like Africa and South America, where governments have repeatedly debased national currencies, and prompted their citizens to seek out sturdier assets like Tether’s dollar and gold offerings instead. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 Look at how much the city had debased this pilgrim in six months, a year. — David Hajdu, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 Haphazardly propped on the ground with wiring and hardware exposed, the flags appear as symbols debased and emptied after centuries of misuse. — Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026 Within this world no others exist, except as things to be debased. — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Dogville, from 2003, is an experimental Lars von Trier film shot on a stage set in which Kidman plays a woman debased and abused by the inhabitants of a small town. — Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025 Unlike bonds, which promise repayment of the primary investment at a future date, warranting demands for higher yields to offset inflation concerns, gold is a physical asset that cannot be debased by fiscal mismanagement or political interference. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debased

Adjective

Energy analysts have consistently cautioned that raising Venezuelan output meaningfully will take years and billions of dollars in repairs to degraded infrastructure.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
That matters because degraded land is not simply an environmental concern.

— Shooka Bidarian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of degraded

Verb

Scott the aesthete, the creator of indelible images and ethereal moods who was unafraid to linger in beauty, even when that beauty was corrupted.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
As a result, the notion of utopia became increasingly associated with the sci-fi genre, while the idea of creating a perfect social order here on earth was corrupted by totalitarian regimes.

— Carline Tromp, The Dial, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of corrupted

Adjective

And Alice’s superior, FBI agent Nora Washington (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), realizes that her corrupt boss Ed George (Danny McCarthy), who was covering up Easton’s crimes, will retain his ASAC position at the FBI.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
That strategy allowed the Kremlin to publicly deny the existence of political repression while portraying the opposition as inherently corrupt.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of corrupt

Verb

Today, the yen has weakened 57% from a low of about 103 in January 2021 to a high of 163 in July, before a rare joint intervention from both Washington and Tokyo strengthened the currency to its current levels of about 160.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Sprout Social's 2026 Influencer Marketing Report found that recommendation feeds have weakened the link between follower count and reach.

— Zoe Huang, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of weakened

Verb

Inflicting these details on the jury, the children’s family members, and the public served no discernible purpose in establishing Clancy’s mens rea, which might have discredited her not-guilty plea.

— Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
After the exam was discredited, at least 20 students died by suicide, according to Agence France-Presse.

— Philip Wang, Time, 25 July 2026

Definition of discredited

Adjective

Some recalls, Eskin said, are made after companies’ routine testing catches a pathogen before anyone gets sick, while others involve outbreaks that are already underway and vary widely in size and severity.

— Dian Zhang, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Sanchez also ordered a meal from Taco Bell, but didn’t get sick.

— Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of sick

Verb

But several of them moving in the same direction tell me that the quality of the rally has deteriorated.

— Thomas Hartmann, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
As the stalemate between the city and Angels owner Arte Moreno grew more entrenched, the condition of Angel Stadium deteriorated.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

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debased

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Style

“Debased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debased. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of debased

adjective

verb

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