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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Degrade \De*grade"\, verb (used without an object) (Biol.) To degenerate; to pass from a higher to a lower type of structure; as, a family of plants or animals degrades through this or that genus or group of genera.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Degrade \De*grade"\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Degraded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Degrading}.] [F. d['e]grader, LL. degradare, fr. L. de- + gradus step, degree. See {Grade}, and cf. {Degree}.]
1. To reduce from a higher to a lower rank or degree; to lower in rank; to deprive of office or dignity; to strip of honors; as, to degrade a nobleman, or a general officer.
Prynne was sentenced by the Star Chamber Court to be degraded from the bar. --Palfrey.
2. To reduce in estimation, character, or reputation; to lessen the value of; to lower the physical, moral, or intellectual character of; to debase; to bring shame or contempt upon; to disgrace; as, vice degrades a man.
O miserable mankind, to what fall Degraded, to what wretched state reserved! --Milton.
Yet time ennobles or degrades each line. --Pope.
Her pride . . . struggled hard against this degrading passion. --Macaulay.
3. (Geol.) To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.
Syn: To abase; demean; lower; reduce. See {Abase}.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
degrade
verb
1: reduce the level of land, as by erosion [ant: {aggrade}]
2: reduce in worth or character, usually verbally; "She tends to put down younger women colleagues"; "His critics took him down after the lecture" [syn: {take down}, {disgrace}, {demean}, {put down}]
3: lower the grade of something; reduce its worth [syn: {cheapen}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
143 Moby Thesaurus words for "degrade": abase, abash, adulterate, alloy, belittle, boot, bounce, break, bring down, bring into discredit, bring low, bring shame upon, bump, bust, can, canker, cashier, cast down, cast reproach upon, cheapen, coarsen, confound, contaminate, corrupt, crush, cry down, debase, debauch, decry, defile, deflower, defrock, degenerate, demean, demerit, demote, denature, deplume, depose, deprave, deprecate, depreciate, deprive, derogate, derogate from, desecrate, despoil, detract, detract from, devalue, dilute, diminish, disapprove of, disbar, discharge, discredit, disemploy, disenfranchise, disfranchise, disgrace, disgrade, dishonor, dismiss, disparage, displace, displume, distort, downgrade, drum out, dump, dump on, expel, fire, furlough, give the ax, give the gate, hold in contempt, humble, humiliate, impute shame to, infect, kick, kick upstairs, knock, lay off, lessen, let go, let out, lower, make little of, make redundant, minimize, misuse, mortify, pension off, pervert, pillory, poison, pollute, prostitute, put down, put to shame, ravage, ravish, read out of, reduce, reflect discredit upon, release, remove, replace, reproach, retire, rule out, run down, sack, separate forcibly, set down, shame, sink, slight, speak ill of, strip, strip of rank, submit to indignity, superannuate, surplus, suspend, taint, take down, thin, trip up, turn off, turn out, twist, ulcerate, unfrock, unseat, violate, vitiate, vulgarize, warp, water down, weaken
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