Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Reduced in rank, dignity, or esteem.
- adjective Having been corrupted or depraved.
- adjective Having been reduced in quality or value.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Reduced in rank; deprived of an office or a dignity.
- Lowered in character or value; debased; low.
- In biology, reduced in taxonomic rank, or in complexity of structure or function; brought to or being in a state of degradation.
- In heraldry, placed upon steps. Also
degreed . - In geology, worn down; leveled by erosion.
- In thermodynamics, reduced to a form less available for further transformation: said of energy which as the result of transformations has been converted into heat.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Reduced in rank, character, or reputation; debased; sunken; low; base.
- adjective (Biol.) Having the typical characters or organs in a partially developed condition, or lacking certain parts.
- adjective (Her.) Having steps; -- said of a cross each of whose extremities finishes in steps growing larger as they leave the center; -- termed also
on degrees .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Feeling or having undergone
degradation ;deprived ofdignity orself-respect . - adjective biology Having the typical characters or organs in a partially developed condition, or lacking certain parts.
- adjective heraldry Having
steps ; said of across whose extremities end in steps growing larger as they leave the centre; on degrees. - verb Simple past tense and past participle of
degrade .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective unrestrained by convention or morality
- adjective lowered in value
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Does your head ache, or do you feel what I call degraded when someone in the office starts talking to you?
Enemies or Teachers 2008
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I was sat down and what you call degraded, so to say, for no apparent reason.
SFGate: Don Asmussen: Bad Reporter jshea@sfchronicle.com (John Shea 2011
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It would be a shame if vidders and other cultural critics were forced to work in degraded images.
Archive 2009-05-01 Rebecca Tushnet 2009
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Yeah, John has definitely degraded from the second film, where he was the super-self-confident, Mr. Do-it-all kid.
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Reading from a declassified portion of a report by the National Ground Intelligence Center, a Defense Department intelligence unit, Santorum said: Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent.
June 2006 2006
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Sanct Orum sez: Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent.
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June 21st, 2006 at 7: 42 pm unbelievable says: approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent
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Unfortunately, the FERC continues to approve new dam construction in degraded river basins and appears poised to begin relicensing existing projects without due regard for river health or adequate protection and mitigation for fish and wildlife.
Letters 1995
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So I was degraded from the honor row to the lowest row, and it was many a day before I forgave that young missionary; it was not enough for my vengeance that he suffered punishment with me.
The Promised Land 1912
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I have reflected, and I feel that I cannot set to Lucretia -- set to children unborn -- the example of indifference to a name degraded and a race adulterated; you may call this pride or prejudice, -- I view it differently.
Lucretia — Volume 01 Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838
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