verb
degrade
dih-GRAYD/dɪˈɡreɪd/
To make or become worse in quality or condition.
Industrial discharge degrades the stream, turning clear water murky and damaging its plants.
Etymology
The pieces suggest stepping down: degrading people originally meant stripping them of office or lowering their rank. This became a broader term for lowering dignity, character, or quality.
In context
To introduce a Masonic ritual into a manly institution is to degrade it to a frivolous amusement for great children.
More examples
- The fabric degrades over time, even with careful storage.
- Repeated copying can degrade the quality of an image.
- Years of pollution have degraded the river's water quality.
Forms
degrade · degrades · degraded · degrading
degradation noun — A decline in quality or condition.
Similar words
- deteriorate
- Usually describes becoming worse rather than causing something to worsen.
- impair
- Emphasizes reducing function or effectiveness rather than overall quality.
- damage
- Suggests specific harm, not necessarily a gradual decline.