degenerated 1 of 2

adjective

as in deteriorated

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degenerated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of degenerate
as in worsened
to become worse or of less value over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers

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 degenerated
Verb
These days, oversight hearings have degenerated into partisan brawls. — David Wippman, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026 Fay degenerated on Tuesday, but by Thursday afternoon was once again a strengthening tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, moving west at 6 mph in the central Atlantic, according to the hurricane center. — Robin Webb, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 The Philadelphia Eagles drastically overhauled their playbook after their offense degenerated in 2025, and the technical and philosophical changes Hurts must master demand a departure from the comfort zones of past systems. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Now, Artnet News reports that her troubles have compounded, with the loss of a seven-acre house in the Hamptons, sold in a sidewalk foreclosure auction that quickly degenerated as police were called to intervene. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 8 Sep. 2026 In the Atlantic Ocean, former Tropical Storm Cristobal weakened and degenerated into a post-tropical remnant low on Thursday, the center said. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Macron’s highest aspirations to, as a modern Talleyrand, inject himself and solve global issues such as Ukraine, Africa’s Sahel, Syria, Lebanon, or Iran have fallen short, degenerated into petty feuds, or backfired. — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers. — Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026 Murderous encounters dating to the Risdon Cove settlement eventually degenerated into the Black War (1804–30), a period of great physical conflict between the Aboriginal population and European settlers. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerated
  1. deteriorated
  2. worsened
  3. corroded
  4. crumbled
  5. contaminated
  6. descended
  7. polluted
  8. declined
Adjective
  • Clark said the supports are needed because equipment used in the investigation is too heavy and difficult to maneuver safely on the deteriorated floor.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • According to the officer, the decision to classify Sands' death as such was the result of the deteriorated condition of his body.
    — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • Many fire survivors have joined lawsuits against the city of Los Angeles and other entities over missteps that enabled or worsened the fire.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That's important in late 2026, when PC shipments are down, and component prices have only worsened in recent months.
    — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of worsened
Adjective
  • The corroded terminal, the location, 30 seconds of video of the noise, the hypothesis that was ruled out.
    — Julien Vantyghem, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And no amount of paint can fix an unstable, corroded piece of furniture.
    — Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of corroded
Verb
  • Prospects of a sequel crumbled in 2019 when the Hollywood Reporter broke news that Lim left the sequel over pay disparity.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • As recruiting migrates from Friday Night Lights to the transfer portal, that old infrastructure has crumbled.
    — Chris Park, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of crumbled
Adjective
  • To break the chains of infections stemming from contaminated needles, Soqo has proposed supplying thousands of sterile needles and syringes to communities of methamphetamine users.
    — David Cox, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • After our investigation, my colleagues and I published a paper describing the anthrax cases from contaminated mail.
    — Daniel Jernigan, STAT, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of contaminated
Verb
  • The one who does the best is Teresa with her poofy updo supporting a little crown and a corseted gown that looks like something Bertha Russel would have descended an elaborate staircase wearing.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said data shows at one point the plane descended more than 14,000 feet, or nearly three miles, in under 30 seconds — way faster than normal.
    — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of descended
Adjective
  • In April 2021, a tear in the liner of the site’s largest holding pond threatened to breach and flood surrounding homes with a wall of polluted water up to 20 feet high.
    — Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
  • When it was established, the community was part of an industrial zone, surrounded by railroad yards, warehouses, and a polluted working waterway.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of polluted
Verb
  • Police initially declined to share details about the victim beyond his age and gender to The Times on Thursday night.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Warsh at the start of the summer declined to say whether rates should rise.
    — Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of declined

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Cite this Entry

“Degenerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerated. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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