Synonyms of degrade

degrade

verb

di-ˈgrād 

1

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

• reduce
• demote
• downgrade
• dismiss
• can
• bust
• sack
• break
• disrate
• debase
• humiliate
• demean
• lay off
• downsize
• fire
• abase
• lower
• humble
• cashier

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• promote
• raise
• advance
• elevate
• hire

2

as in to deteriorate

to lower in character, dignity, or quality

degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deteriorate
• weaken
• humiliate
• subvert
• dilute
• destroy
• corrupt
• debase
• demean
• poison
• ruin
• lessen
• cheapen
• damage
• pervert
• pollute
• debauch
• deprave
• abase
• vitiate
• demoralize
• contaminate
• mar
• impair
• bastardize
• disgrace
• prostitute
• hurt
• taint
• warp
• dirty
• shame
• harm
• profane
• humble
• spoil
• canker
• defile
• thin
• tarnish
• wreck
• dishonor
• water down
• flaw
• stain
• befoul
• depreciate
• deface
• descend
• begrime
• downgrade
• take down
• blemish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improve
• elevate
• uplift
• enhance
• better
• honor
• exalt
• enrich
• ennoble
• amend
• perfect
• ameliorate
• restore
• dignify
• refine
• clarify
• purify
• clean
• cleanse
• respect
• meliorate

3

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

• humiliate
• discredit
• embarrass
• debase
• demean
• confuse
• shame
• disgrace
• cheapen
• humble
• dishonor
• insult
• diminish
• abase
• rattle
• lower
• take down
• chasten
• minimize
• criticize
• detract
• foul
• smirch
• sink
• disparage
• belittle
• mortify
• depreciate
• ridicule
• confound
• disconcert
• defame
• faze
• malign
• discountenance
• decry
• defile
• condemn
• slander
• fluster
• libel
• castigate
• discount
• affront
• discomfit
• write off
• denounce
• abash
• put down
• cry down
• bad-mouth
• nonplus
• damn
• censure
• execrate
• reprehend
• reprobate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• elevate
• exalt
• honor
• recognize
• aggrandize
• boast
• celebrate
• commend
• cite
• acknowledge
• applaud
• compliment
• decorate
• deify
• extol
• canonize
• congratulate
• tout
• praise
• cheer
• laud
• salute
• hail
• eulogize
• highlight
• promote
• acclaim
• ennoble
• glorify
• dignify
• magnify
• fete
• raise
• advance
• enshrine
• play up
• upgrade
• lift
• boost
• uplift
• enthrone
• spotlight
• idealize
• romanticize
• ensky

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of degrade

Germany's Constitutional Court ruled last year that the extradition was unlawful because it could not be guaranteed that the defendant would not be subject to inhumane or degrading treatment in Hungarian custody. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Higher prices degrade investments over time, and bondholders want to ensure they’re compensated for the effects of higher gas and diesel prices on their investments. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Moscow no longer hopes to win by merely capturing cities, or even by degrading Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026

Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled last year that the extradition was unlawful because it could not be guaranteed that the defendant would not be subject to inhumane or degrading treatment in Hungarian custody. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026