DEGRADED Synonyms: 221 Similar and Opposite Words

degraded 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈgrā-dəd

Definition of degraded

as in corrupt

having or showing lowered moral character or standards many observers deplored the fact that the city's festivities for Mardi Gras had become a degraded, drunken celebration

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

degraded

2 of 2

verb

past tense of degrade

as in reduced

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deteriorated

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

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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 the players degraded themselves with their crude antics off the field

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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 degraded

Adjective

The hospital treats about 175 major pediatric spine cases per year, sparing patients from pain, and in some advanced cases, degraded lung function. — Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026 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

Verb

The casing worked for the electrons but couldn’t keep protons at bay, which degraded the photon detectors. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026 Nothing has degraded more for Latino men, however, than the simple pleasures of life. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for degraded

Recent Examples of Synonyms for degraded

Adjective

The most egregious perpetrators of fraud in the industry were corrupt doctors who were paid by patients to send insurance companies medical examination reports that omitted unfavorable findings.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
That unaffordability, Talarico argued at the nighttime rally in Texas that was packed with younger voters, is because billionaires and corrupt politicians have rigged the system.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of corrupt

Verb

Taps won't go dry, experts say, in part because Arizona has already reduced its water use over the years.

— Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
But for Deakins, the work is too dependent on the circumstances of a story, and the people telling it, to be reduced to any one method.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduced

Verb

However, Rob Shuter is reporting that Meghan believes Kate purposefully humiliated her by recently taking Princess Charlotte on the London Underground.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2026
His daughter is humiliated, and the message could not be clearer.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of humiliated

Adjective

The goats’ dire situation first came to light when a former dairy employee raised concerns after witnessing emaciated and sick animals on the property, the former employee told the Idaho Statesman last year.

— Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026
What’s interesting is that Conan Doyle got sick of writing Sherlock Holmes.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of sick

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 demoted

Verb

The original 1971 experiment was conducted by psychology professor Philip Zimbardo, who arbitrarily split volunteers into two groups—inmates and guards—and observed how power corrupted them.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Rousseau argued that societies were happiest before agriculture and metal production corrupted them.

— Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of corrupted

Verb

Milli Vanilli won a Grammy, got all this attention and then got discredited and didn’t replace Barbra Streisand or Bruce Springsteen or Taylor Swift or the Eurythmics or The Rolling Stones.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Scientists have thoroughly discredited such claims for decades.

— Ashique KhudaBukhsh, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of discredited

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

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Synonyms of degraded

adjective

verb

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