Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

degrade

/dɪˈɡɹeɪd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.28 in modern English

Syllables: de-grade
IPA: /dɪˈɡɹeɪd/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To lower in value or social position.

Transitive verb

verb

To reduce in quality or purity.

Intransitive verb

verb

To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Fred degrades himself by his behaviour."
"[…] [William] Prynne was sentenced by the Star-Chamber Court to be degraded from the bar, to stand in pillory at two places in London and lose an ear at each, to be branded on the forehead, to pay a fine of five thousand pounds, and to be imprisoned for life."
"The DNA sample has degraded."

Etymology

From Middle French dégrader.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /dɪˈɡɹeɪd/
British English: /dɪˈɡɹeɪd/

Usage

Inflected Forms

degrades (present, singular) degrading (participle, present) degraded (participle, past) degraded (past)

Derived Forms

biodegrade degradability degradable degradant degradation degradee degradement degrader degradome degradomics degradosome degron

Phrases

degrade gracefully

Synonyms

abase debase demean avile debauch degrade depreciate devalue devaluate dirty elevate vitiate

Rhymes With

made home-made played trade paid grade aid afraid laid stayed decade they'd

Questions

How do you pronounce degrade?: The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈɡɹeɪd/.
What does degrade mean?: To lower in value or social position.
Where does degrade come from?: From Middle French dégrader.

How to pronounce degrade

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɪˈɡɹeɪd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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