adj

degenerate

dih-JEH-nuh-riht

adj

Having declined from a former, better state; deteriorated.

"Critics called the sequel a degenerate version of the original film."

noun

A person seen as morally corrupt or of poor character.

"The tabloids painted him as a degenerate gambler."

verb

To decline in quality, structure, or character over time.

"The debate quickly degenerated into shouting."

How to Use Degenerate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething (or someone) that has gotten worse, often morally or structurally.

Common mistake

Used as an adjective/verb it's fairly neutral and technical ("degenerate case"); as a noun describing a person it is a strong insult — use with care.

Common pairings

degenerate into chaos moral degenerate

more degenerate comparative, degenerated past tense, degenerates plural, degenerates singular, most degenerate superlative

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Critics called the sequel a _____ version of the original film.

A learned borrowing from Latin dēgenerātus, from dē- ("down from") + genus ("kind, birth") — literally "having fallen from one's kind."

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