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Definitions

downgrade

[doun-greyd] / ˈdaʊnˌgreɪd /
NOUN
slope
Synonyms
STRONG
decline declivity descent dip hill inclination pitch
Antonyms
STRONG
ascent improvement increase rise
WEAK
upgrade
VERB
lower in opinion or rank
Synonyms
STRONGEST
degrade demote devalue reduce undervalue
STRONG
abase bench break bump bust decrease decry demerit denigrate depreciate disparage humble minimize
WEAK
declass detract from devalorize disrate mark down run down set back take down a peg write off
Antonyms
STRONGEST
increase overvalue promote raise upgrade
STRONG
approve cherish commend compliment enlarge exalt fix laud mend overrate praise
WEAK
improve

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The UK's downgrade of half a percentage point is the largest of the world's advanced economies, with the UK now earmarked to have middling growth this year compared to its peers.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The Treasury chief also spoke about the global economy, saying the International Monetary Fund “probably overreacted” in its downgrade of its global economic growth target for this year because of the Middle East conflict.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The IMF chief signalled in her opening remarks that the Fund would downgrade its global growth forecast due to the war, and she had a stark warning:

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

“We think this confirms reports that Broadcom will have some involvement with the funding of Anthropic’s data center,” he wrote in his downgrade.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

“And you’ve changed your team. Interesting. Is this a downgrade or an upgrade, young Tristan?”

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia