DEGRADE Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

degrade

verb

di-ˈgrād

Definition of degrade

as in to reduce

to bring to a lower grade or rank the view that such a system degrades doctors to the status of medical employees who ultimately are not in charge of their patients' health care

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deteriorate

to lower in character, dignity, or quality degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to humiliate

to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes the players degraded themselves with their crude antics off the field

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 degrade Resilience comes from separate physical routes, backups that are tested under load and systems that degrade gracefully when a piece drops out. — Vincent E. Bianco Iii, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 These fabrics can take hundreds of years to degrade, releasing microplastics into the air and soil, exacerbating the global issue of microplastic pollution. — Catherine Salfino, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Experts told the Herald that the use of such cages as punishment could violate international laws against torture and degrading treatment. — Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 The genetic disorder causes degeneration of the light sensing cells in the retina, which can degrade peripheral and night vision so much that patients can become legally blind by young adulthood. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for degrade

Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade

Verb

Sullivan touted his Bycatch Reduction Act, a bill intended to reduce excess fish caught by large commercial trawlers.

— Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Energy-absorbing seats are designed to manage forces transmitted to occupants during an impact, potentially reducing injury risks.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduce

Verb

Such a summit would be unprecedented and deeply alarming to Ukraine’s European allies, particularly as relations between Washington and Kyiv deteriorate.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
The situation deteriorated further after the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war in 1975.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of deteriorate

Verb

Detroit demoted former general manager Steve Yzerman in July, giving him an advisory role to owner and CEO Chris Ilitch, and named Shawn Horcoff interim GM after failing to hire one during a search.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Wilson was eventually demoted, making Winston the primary backup.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of demote

Verb

But while those will provide short-term relief, the currency is expected to weaken toward the end of the year and mid-2027, and a 100 rupee-per-dollar mark could not be ruled out, strategists said.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
However, following his arrest, the owner, Mohammad Khan, blamed this week's rains for weakening one of the roofs, according to police, who said the investigation was still underway.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

Baker periodically deployed Darman to discredit and even destroy Baker’s rivals for Presidential attention in the Administration.

— Bob Woodward, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Gates says Washburn’s petition is a first volley in an attempt to discredit and then defund the Wildlife Council.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of discredit

Verb

David Radcliff’s work crosses genres and formats, but his favorite projects are those that broaden understanding and empathy through humor and subverted expectations.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Similar to modern innuendo, phallic imagery was sometimes used to subvert taboos and humorously challenge norms.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of subvert

Verb

Chicago embarrassed Philadelphia, while the Eagles squandered a late lead against the Rams before suffering an improbable loss to the Jaguars in London.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
The Longhorns’ offense scored 17 points against a Florida defense that Missouri and South Carolina embarrassed.

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of embarrass

Browse Nearby Words

degradations

degrade

degraded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of degrade

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes