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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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 degraded

Adjective

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 That matters because degraded land is not simply an environmental concern. — Shooka Bidarian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

My husband was humiliated, he was degraded, and not able to defend himself. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 The invasion has raised European willingness to spend more on defense, and the fighting has badly degraded Russia’s armed forces. — Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for degraded

Recent Examples of Synonyms for degraded

Adjective

The national Democratic effort to defeat Collins kept going; now the party is spending millions on an ad hitting her for a ProPublica story about her links to a corrupt defense contractor.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
For many voters, this view of Lula as corrupt is wrapped up with criticism of his economic policies and of the strong welfare state that the former union leader has come to embody.

— Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of corrupt

Verb

To help pay for its tax cuts, the act reduced Medicaid payments by a trillion dollars over the next decade, though it was designed to delay the full impact of the cuts until 2027, after this year’s elections.

— Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
The agency reduced service earlier this year and has proposed more cuts in recent board meetings.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduced

Verb

The central bank's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations found that consumers expect inflation to be even higher a year from now, while perceptions about their own financial standing deteriorated.

— Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
However, as Germany’s economic problems — slow growth, high inflation, rising energy prices — have worsened, public sentiment toward the newcomers has deteriorated.

— Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

Adjective

Along with missing guard Dru Smith (right calf strain) and two-way contract forward Keshad Johnson (right hamstring strain) for the second straight exhibition game, the Heat was also without guard Pelle Larsson (sick) on Thursday.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Two types of influenza — A and B — are responsible for the seasonal flu epidemics that make people sick, according to the California Department of Public Health.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of sick

Verb

As for 5-star quarterback Julian Lewis, who was demoted last week, there seems to be more to the situation than Deion is intentionally letting on.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
McLeod got demoted to the fourth line late in the game and played only three shifts in the third period.

— Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of demoted

Verb

The arrival of Dutch elm disease not only ravaged these green spaces, but discredited the whole goal of aiming for such uniformity.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
The issue here is not with this project, which is building something artistic and beautiful, but with a broader, pro-AI tech culture that has discredited AI and its public image.

— James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of discredited

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degrade

degraded

degrader

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Style

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

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Synonyms of degraded

adjective

verb

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