v.
Pronunciation: di- ' gr ā d, d ē -
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French degrader, from Late Latin degradare, from Latin de- + gradus step, grade ― more at GRADE
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 a : to lower in grade, rank, or status : DEMOTE b : to strip of rank or honors c : to lower to an inferior or less effective level < degrade the image quality> d : to scale down in desirability or salability
2 a : to bring to low esteem or into disrepute <his actions have degraded his profession> b : to drag down in moral or intellectual character : CORRUPT
3 : to impair in respect to some physical property <material degraded by exposure to sunlight>
4 : to wear down by erosion
5 : to reduce the complexity of (a chemical compound) : DECOMPOSE
intransitive verb
1 : to pass from a higher grade or class to a lower
2 of a chemical compound : to become reduced in complexity
– de · grad · er noun
– de · grad · ing · ly \ - ' gr ā -di ŋ -l ē \ adverb