degenerated 1 of 2

adjective

as in deteriorated

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degenerated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of degenerate
as in worsened
to become worse or of less value over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 degenerated
Verb
The bear bowled Propst over backward, and the encounter degenerated into lopsided hand-to-fang combat. — John McCoy, Outdoor Life, 12 Nov. 2025 Our national political and cultural discourse, especially online, has degenerated into a permanent fever dream. — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025 After a police operation in Rio de Janeiro in October degenerated into a chaotic shootout, leading to more than 120 deaths, Brazilian civil society groups reacted in horror. — Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 Macron’s highest aspirations to, as a modern Talleyrand, inject himself and solve global issues such as Ukraine, Africa’s Sahel, Syria, Lebanon, or Iran have fallen short, degenerated into petty feuds, or backfired. — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers. — Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026 Murderous encounters dating to the Risdon Cove settlement eventually degenerated into the Black War (1804–30), a period of great physical conflict between the Aboriginal population and European settlers. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerated
  1. deteriorated
  2. worsened
  3. corroded
  4. crumbled
  5. contaminated
  6. descended
  7. polluted
  8. declined
Adjective
  • According to the officer, the decision to classify Sands' death as such was the result of the deteriorated condition of his body.
    — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026
  • Crews will spend several days rebuilding and paving each section before moving on to the next, according to a press release, and the project will remove deteriorated pavement before the application of new asphalt.
    — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • Now a controversial study claims that working from home worsened mental health.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The American pope has prioritized church unity and healing tensions with traditionalists that worsened during the Pope Francis pontificate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of worsened
Adjective
  • Pumps and lift systems can easily become corroded.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
  • But one look at the crumbling, corroded metal shield covering the base left Jacobson thinking, at the very least, that should have been replaced over the years.
    — John Ramos, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Definition of corroded
Verb
  • Today Twain would be startled by the passivity of a once-mighty Congress that has all but crumbled in the face of pressure from the White House.
    — Ron Chernow, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
  • The Venezuelan government had housed them in a building in La Guaira that crumbled.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of crumbled
Adjective
  • The life-threatening species that's found in water can also sicken or kill people who eat contaminated seafood, such as raw oysters infected with the bacteria.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Every dollar a family spends on cancer treatment or a hospital stay tied to contaminated water is a dollar that better rules could have saved them.
    — Alex Burton, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
Definition of contaminated
Verb
  • Nearby, groups descended on a shopping center on 32nd Street, emptying trash cans and tossing merchandise from the Pavilions grocery store into the parking lot.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • For decades, the top players in the sport have descended on this town in upstate New York known for its mineral springs and top-notch horse racing.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of descended
Adjective
  • If one neighborhood is highly polluted but nearby communities aren’t, county-level averages would show an overall low level of pollution – even though the more detailed information would reveal a major problem to be addressed in one particular area.
    — Mark Axelrod, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
  • Mayflies lay up to 10,000 eggs in the water, and their nymphs can't survive in water that is polluted.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
Definition of polluted
Verb
  • The location for the bronze statue on the Wimbledon grounds hasn't been announced and Williams-Ellis declined to offer specifics about the pose.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • In doing so, Valdez, like fellow successful DSA New York Congressional candidate Avila Chevalier, declined to endorse Jeffries as minority leader or even Speaker if the Democrats take back the House.
    — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 July 2026
Definition of declined

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Cite this Entry

“Degenerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerated. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on degenerated

Nglish: Translation of degenerated for Spanish Speakers

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