DEGRADE Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

degrade

verb

di-ˈgrād

Definition of degrade

as in to reduce

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deteriorate

to lower in character, dignity, or quality degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to humiliate

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

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 degrade These prediction market partnerships have, for some, become emblematic of what fans see as unfettered greed on the part of teams, players, leagues and platforms believed to be degrading their experience of sports writ large. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026 The new generation of therapeutic peptides is chemically modified to resist breakdown in the gastrointestinal tract, where traditional peptide drugs degrade before they can be absorbed. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 These do convey a sense of disassociation fitting for a woman like Colette, who seems to leave her body in the midst of her degrading work, but in this case, the repetition does not build or reveal more emotion. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 The partnership aims to keep the platform connected when military operations disrupt or degrade individual network links. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for degrade

Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade

Verb

Integrating the interceptor into existing launch infrastructure could reduce the need for extensive equipment changes.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
People can donate clean costumes and pick a new one, reducing waste and the resources and emissions required to make new ones.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduce

Verb

Netanyahu faces an international arrest warrant, experts have accused Israel of genocide, and Israel’s image has further deteriorated with a spike in settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

— Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Their return on investment becomes clear when conditions deteriorate and the organization is still able to operate, invest and make decisions on its own terms.

— Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of deteriorate

Verb

Those who fail to scan the address verification QR code within seven days will see their account demoted to the free tier and be barred from joining any other Duo or Family plan for 12 months.

— Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Detroit demoted former general manager Steve Yzerman in July, giving him an advisory role to owner and CEO Chris Ilitch, and named Shawn Horcoff interim GM after failing to hire one during a search.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of demote

Verb

Conditions were expected to improve Saturday afternoon as winds weakened, with fair and dry weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
As trust in America weakens further, other wealthy nations will make the same calculation.

— Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

There are growing concerns from Congress and observers that the election will take place in a hostile environment and efforts to discredit and undermine the election are already underway.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The few instances of panic were magnified by newspapers eager to discredit the new medium of radio.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of discredit

Verb

The Grace twist exists solely as a way to subvert the expectations of viewers who have seen the first movie.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
David Radcliff’s work crosses genres and formats, but his favorite projects are those that broaden understanding and empathy through humor and subverted expectations.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of subvert

Verb

Oddly, some on social media are acting like Nevada’s entire goal was to embarrass others during his weekend game.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
The actor may not always be playing Bond, but will forever be a Bond, and therefore must be counted upon to not embarrass the franchise.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of embarrass

Browse Nearby Words

degradations

degrade

degraded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of degrade

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes