verb
degrade
dih-GRAYD
verb
1
To lower someone's dignity or status; to humiliate.
"The harsh comments were meant to degrade her in front of colleagues."
2
To reduce something's quality, strength, or condition over time.
"UV light gradually degrades plastic left outdoors."
How to Use Degrade
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo bring something or someone down in quality, condition, or status.
Common pairings
degrade the environment
degrade someone's dignity
Word Forms
degraded past tense, degrades singular
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Etymology
From Middle French dégrader, from Latin dē- ("down") + gradus ("step, rank").