degraded

Language: en

🇬🇧 /dɪˈgreɪdɪd/ 🇺🇸 /dɪˈgreɪdəd/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Reduced in quality, value, or character; brought to a lower state or condition.; Lowered in moral or social standing; debased or dishonored.; In geology, referring to rock or land that has been worn down or broken up by natural processes such as erosion.; In biology or ecology, referring to an environment or habitat that has been damaged or diminished in its natural state.; In chemistry, referring to a substance that has been broken down into simpler compounds through chemical or biological processes.; In computing or telecommunications, referring to a system or signal that is operating at a reduced level of performance or quality.
  2. verb
    Past tense and past participle of 'degrade': to lower in dignity, quality, or condition.
  3. adjective
    In heraldry, referring to a cross or other charge that has its arms shortened or cut off, not reaching the edges of the shield.

🔗 Details

Word forms

3rd sing.: degrades Past: degraded Past part.: degraded Pres part.: degrading

Collocations

degrade the environmentdegrade the qualitydegrade oneselfeasily degradeddegrade over timedegrade the signal

Derivatives

degradationdegradabledegradingbiodegradabledegraderdegraded

Synonyms

deterioratedebasedevaluediminishlowerdepreciate

Antonyms

upgradeimproveenhanceelevate

Commonly confused

debase
EN: 'Debase' specifically implies lowering moral or intrinsic value (e.g., debasing currency), while 'degrade' is broader and can refer to physical, chemical, or social deterioration.
devalue
EN: 'Devalue' focuses on reducing worth or importance, while 'degrade' emphasizes a decline in quality, status, or condition.
decompose
EN: 'Decompose' refers specifically to biological or chemical breakdown, while 'degrade' is more general and can apply to abstract qualities like reputation or signal strength.

Spelling tips

EN: Note the single 'd' in 'degrade' but double 'd' in 'degraded' and 'degrading' due to the silent 'e' being dropped before vowel suffixes.

💬 Examples

  1. The degraded water quality made the lake unsafe for swimming.

  2. He felt degraded by the humiliating treatment he received at work.

  3. The degraded limestone formations revealed millions of years of erosion.

  4. Efforts were made to restore the degraded wetlands to their original condition.

  5. The degraded polymer fragments were analyzed using mass spectrometry.

  6. The network entered a degraded mode after several servers went offline.

  7. The scandal degraded his reputation beyond repair.

  8. The coat of arms featured a degraded cross in the center of the shield.