degrade Hear it!

degrade Definition

de·grade (dē grād′, di-)

transitive verb degraded -·grad′ed, degrading -·grad′·ing

  1. to lower in rank or status, as in punishing; demote
  2. to lower or corrupt in quality, moral character, or value; debase
  3. to bring into dishonor or contempt
  4. Chem. to convert (an organic compound) into a simpler compound by removal of one or more parts of the molecule; decompose
  5. Geol. to lower (a land surface) by erosion

Etymology: ME degraden < OFr degrader < LL degradare, to reduce in rank < L de-, down + gradus: see de- & grade

intransitive verb

  1. Rare to sink to a lower grade or type
  2. to be converted into a simpler compound or compounds; decompose

Related Forms:

degrade Synonyms

degrade

v.

  1. To humble

    demote, discredit, diminish; see humble.

  2. To corrupt

    debase, deprave, degenerate, deteriorate; see corrupt 1. See syn. study at humble.

degrade Usage Examples

Object

  • contaminant: Environmental bionanotechnology - for example the use of nanoscale instruments to degrade industrial contaminants in soil.
  • pollutant: Bioremediation - The ability of soil microorganisms to degrade organic pollutants may be enhanced in a bioremediation system.
  • DNA: C ) or steam under pressure were required to degrade the DNA completely.

Preposition: as

  • result: Darkening or other discoloration can result, and the coating may degrade as a result of the radiation.

Preposition: over

  • time: A shift in this balance will cause the reef system either to grow or degrade over time.

Noun phrase with adjective complement

  • such: By communicating with each other they can speed up the way they degrade foods such as vegetables.

Adjective complement

  • due: It is a known fact that around the Equatorial band during daylight the GPS signals can degrade due to the effect of the sun.

Modifying Another Word

  • gracefully: They don't degrade gracefully in older browsers due to careless use of HTML.
  • significantly: A small hole in a wall or floor can significantly degrade the performance.

Used with why or when

  • when: The polygons have been rounded nicely and the resolution doesn't seem to degrade when you get close to the car.

Preposition: in

  • browser: They don't degrade gracefully in older browsers due to careless use of HTML.
  • environment: It degrades rapidly in room temperature environment and will not last more than a couple of days or less like this.