degrade
/dɪˈɡɹeɪd/ verb C1- To lower in value or social position. · Fred degrades himself by his behaviour.
- To reduce in quality or purity. · The DNA sample has degraded.
- To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.
He/she/it degrades · Past degraded · Past participle degraded · -ing form degrading
Verb forms
- Base form
- degrade
- He/she/it
- degrades
- Past
- degraded
- Past participle
- degraded
- -ing form
- degrading
From the library
The only difference consists in the opposite character of the equality advocated by these two men; one is the equality that elevates, the other is the equality that degrades; one brings a king within reach of the guillotine, the other elevates the people to a level with the throne.
“There now, again you degrade me.”
In a creek lay a little sloop, with a narrow keel and high masts, bearing on its flag the Monte Cristo arms which were a mountain or, on a sea azure, with a cross gules in chief which might be an allusion to his name that recalled Calvary, the mount rendered by our Lord’s passion more precious than gold, and to the degrading cross which his blood had rendered holy; or it might be some personal remembrance of suffering and regeneration buried in the night of this mysterious personage’s past life.
These essential practices gradually stabilized the blowing dirt and allowed the severely degraded ecosystem to begin a slow process of recovery.
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