YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

degrade

Verb

IPA /dɪˈɡreɪd/

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Meaning in plain English

To damage something so that its quality or condition becomes worse.

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Pronunciation

degrade/dɪˈɡreɪd/

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Land begins in good condition
Heavy activity damages the soil
Its quality becomes worse

To degrade something is to reduce its quality or condition.

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Repeated washing at a high temperature can degrade the fabric.
Heavy machinery had degraded the soil around the work site.

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Repeated washing at a high temperature can ________ the fabric.

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degrade — To damage something so that its quality or condition becomes worse.

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To damage something so that its quality or condition becomes worse.

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Word origin

From Old French degrader and Latin degradare, related to gradus, meaning a step or rank.

Did you know?

Degrade also has meanings involving disrespect and chemical breakdown; context selects the meaning.

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