degrade

[dih-greyd, dee-greyd] / dɪˈgreɪd, diˈgreɪd /

VERB

shame, humiliate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

cheapen corrupt debase degenerate demean deteriorate diminish discredit disgrace downgrade impair lessen reduce vitiate weaken

STRONG

abase belittle bench break bump bust canker debauch decry demote depose deprave derogate detract disbar dishonor disparage humble injure lower pan pervert sink slam

WEAK

bemean cast down cut down to size declass mudsling put down rule out run down shoot down take down take down a peg tear down

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid assist develop enhance enlarge expand extend grow help honor improve increase praise purify raise strengthen upgrade

STRONG

build up compliment exalt fix flatter laud mend promote rise

WEAK

admire approve elevate

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.

“It’s the fastest way to degrade your loyalty and satisfaction among the people who are traveling with you, because they feel like they’re being nickeled and dimed,” Taylor told me.

From Slate • May 12, 2026

Current versions can degrade over time, which limits their long-term reliability.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

The United States and Israel said that they attacked Iran to degrade its military capacity.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

First, continue to degrade to a “militarily manageable risk” the missiles, mines, drones and unmanned surface combatants that could threaten U.S. forces and tankers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Galen’s text had never been accompanied by illustrations—Galen explicitly said that illustrations were worthless—because in a manuscript culture complex illustrations degrade rapidly each time they are copied.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Vocabulary lists containing degrade

30 GRE Words Beginning with "D"

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

How Low Can You Go? Synonyms for "Downward"

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!