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corrupt

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective corrupt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of corrupt are degenerate, iniquitous, nefarious, vicious, and villainous. While all these words mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct," corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

When might degenerate be a better fit than corrupt?

The meanings of degenerate and corrupt largely overlap; however, degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

When is iniquitous a more appropriate choice than corrupt?

Although the words iniquitous and corrupt have much in common, iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

In what contexts can nefarious take the place of corrupt?

The synonyms nefarious and corrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

When would vicious be a good substitute for corrupt?

While in some cases nearly identical to corrupt, vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

When can villainous be used instead of corrupt?

While the synonyms villainous and corrupt are close in meaning, villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of corrupt
Adjective
Musk previously suggested Power was corrupt, claims that were quickly debunked. Martha McHardy, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025 Those counterintelligence debacles shake public confidence and bolster Trump’s critique that the intelligence agencies are dysfunctional and even corrupt. Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
Another dish that has not been corrupted is a slice of smearcase. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2025 Lopez would play the titular role, a fantasy woman named Aurora created by Luis Molina, a gay hairdresser serving an eight-year sentence for allegedly corrupting a minor. Zack Sharf, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for corrupt 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupt
Adjective
  • Against the backdrop of a degraded web, the improbable success of a volunteer-run website attempting to gather all the world’s knowledge is something to celebrate, not destroy.
    Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
  • Microplastics are tiny fragments of degraded polymers that are found in the environment, including our air, water and soil, a news release explained.
    Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • These waivers are now being implemented, that it is being executed, that food will be going out, but, to your point, about $40 million in food rotting in these warehouses in Houston, about 500,000 metric tons on ships on the sea.
    CBS News, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2025
  • But different types of seeds have different germination and growth rates (aka ‘days to harvest’), and timing this against your area’s last frost date is your secret weapon against leggy tomato seedlings that still can’t go outside, or pea seeds rotting in cold, wet soil.
    Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • To strip her name from her and contort it into a term that is most often used to degrade artists who look like her is simply dehumanizing.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Topaz Labs View 1 Images Topaz Labs, which makes powerful photo and video enhancement software, just showed off a new AI model that automatically enhances old footage, from your home video collection to archival content that may have degraded over time on traditional media.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • An attorney for Michael Madigan today repeatedly denied that the ex-House speaker ever thought utility giant ComEd was bribing him, and painted co-defendant Michael McClain as an exaggerator who would frequently use Madigan’s name to inflate his own significance.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Among the many allegations of corruption in indictments filed Friday against ex-Mayor Sheng Thao is the notion she was bribed to influence the appointment of a city official who could help secure funding for Thao’s alleged co-conspirators.
    Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • And in one case, a person got it from handling sick and or dead birds in a backyard flock.
    Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025
  • Dairy farmers with infected herds reported large die-offs of wild birds near their farms before their cows got sick, according to the USDA.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • What doesn’t decay this winter can be mulched up next spring.
    Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Sep. 2022
  • In particular, many theorists have wondered how the great complexity of life can be reconciled with the laws of thermodynamics that suggest that all systems must inevitably decay to a state of greatest disorder.
    The Physics arXiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2022
Verb
  • At the same time, nations are engaging in cross-border efforts to use disinformation and other forms of propaganda to subvert elections, while some technology, media, and political leaders aid the spread of lies and conspiracy theories.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2025
  • To subvert whiteness with Blackness as a cultural and psychological lingua franca cannot possibly undo the wounds that molded modern Blackness in the first place, a diasporic concern that places even the most joyous liberation and self-expression in an especially morose context.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • That benchmark is unattainable because mankind is made of crooked timber, and our station in life is influenced by happenstances beyond our control — our parents, siblings, relatives and place of birth.
    Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Workers reported bent rafters, crooked columns and snapped cables before the building collapsed, according to OSHA.
    Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near corrupt

Cite this Entry

“Corrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupt. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

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