DEGENERACY Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

degeneracy

noun

di-ˈjen-rə-sē

Definition of degeneracy

as in degradation

a change to a lower state or level the sad degeneracy of the old neighborhood into a slum

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in corruption

a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior the degeneracy of the family into a gang of petty thieves

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 degeneracy Eric Swalwell, a prominent Democratic House member and a front-runner in the race for California governor, had his political career blown up by allegations of degeneracy and abject stupidity. — Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026 One night, Earnshaw goes out for his evening’s gambling and degeneracy and returns the next morning with a new resident for the household. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026 This uncertainty, called mass–distance degeneracy, meant that earlier detections could not rule out heavier objects such as brown dwarfs. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 Jan. 2026 Reformers seized on this as both a public-health and a moral crisis; for many Progressives, dirt itself was a sign of degeneracy. — Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for degeneracy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for degeneracy

Noun

In the small-cap space, Piper Sandler's Tenthoff likes Monte Rosa Therapeutics, a pioneer in protein degradation that selectively destroys disease-causing proteins.

— Paulina Likos, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
The degradation of Starshield is estimated to have cost Ukraine tens of millions of dollars in losses, according to an analysis by Dimko Zhluktenko, a drone pilot and analyst in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

— Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of degradation

Noun

Democrats have targeted Paxton, who is benefiting from millions in outside spending, over corruption claims and his impeachment by the Texas Legislature, though he was later acquitted.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Even leftist lawmakers support to some of those ideas in the wake of a corruption scandal that ensnared the court.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of corruption

Noun

To me, the two nude figures in languid declination seemed, saliently, to be melting in the heat of a summer day, but their triton-wielding and breast-cupping poses must certainly have also invited debate centuries before.

— Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026
The declinations came as the DOJ reassigned and cut prosecutors working on environmental cases.

— Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026

Definition of declination

Noun

But over the past year, the company has seen its share price decline by approximately a third, largely due to rising costs.

— Rob Wile, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
The decline was among the most noteworthy changes in polling about the November ballot, PPIC poll director Mark Baldassare told The Sacramento Bee.

— Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of decline

Noun

The booster, meanwhile, reoriented for its descent back to Earth.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The deputy pointed to Les Républicains leader and presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, who was interior minister in 2023 when police shot a teenager of Algerian-Moroccan descent and sparked nationwide protests.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of descent

Noun

There’s plenty of decadence to go around, not only in the amenities and treatments but culinarily speaking—a surprise seven-course chef’s table dinner at Rumari Counter is good for the soul—and the combination is divine.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
But Pavese’s private concerns seem now to be the opposite of decadence.

— Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of decadence

Browse Nearby Words

degeneracies

degeneracy

degenerate

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“Degeneracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degeneracy. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of degeneracy

noun

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