degrade

verb

(transitive) To lower in value or social position.

(intransitive, ergative) To reduce in quality or purity.

(transitive, geology) To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.

Roots

Synonyms for degrade

demeanv cheapenv debasev diminishv weakenv disgracen devaluev depreciatev disparagev humiliatev belittlev vitiatev abasev

Synonyms & related words for degrade

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of degrade — including demean, cheapen, debase, diminish, weaken, disgrace. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to degrade

Explore words related to degrade — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include degrader, deteriorate, degradation, impair, degradative, devitalize, erode, debilitate. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for degrade

Common synonyms for degrade include demean, cheapen, debase, diminish, weaken, disgrace, devalue, depreciate — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does degrade come from?

The word degrade breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root grad-, from Latin gradus (“step, degree”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.