depraved

adjective

de·​praved di-ˈprāvd 

: marked by corruption or evil

a depraved attack

especially : perverted

the work of depraved minds

depravedly

di-ˈprā-vəd-lē 

-ˈprāvd-lē

adverb

depravedness

di-ˈprā-vəd-nəs 

-ˈprāvd-nəs

noun

Synonyms

• corrupt
• debased
• debauched
• decadent
• degenerate
• degraded
• demoralized
• dissipated
• dissolute
• jackleg
• libertine
• loose
• perverse
• perverted
• rakehell
• rakehelly
• rakish
• reprobate
• sick
• unclean
• unwholesome
• warped

Examples of depraved in a Sentence

the work of depraved minds

He acted with depraved indifference to human suffering.

Recent Examples on the Web

They’re brought back to life by their child, a genderqueer doll called Glen/Glenda, and immediately launch into more depraved violence, kidnapping Jennifer Tilly and Redman (themselves) to transfer their consciousness into their bodies. —Rory Doherty, Vulture, 28 June 2024

Horror films still offer a path to profitability on low budgets that no other genre can claim, which is why even the most squeamish filmmakers should celebrate the remarkable box-office success demonstrated by Damien Leone’s gory saga of the depraved Art the Clown. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024

Where to watch Killing Eve: Netflix 13 of 21 Luther (2010–2019) Idris Elba stars as the titular detective investigating brutal murder cases in this increasingly depraved psychological thriller, which is a spiritual cross between Dexter and The Wire. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024

These are two of the mildest things to happen in this incredibly depraved book. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see deprave

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

depraved

adjective

de·​praved di-ˈprāvd 

: marked by moral corruption or perversion as shown by a capacity for extreme and wanton physical cruelty

the depraved state of mind of the murderer

the depraved nature of the crime