as in degraded
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
a book that examines the debased character of the criminal mind
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in corrupted
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
we debase ourselves when we adopt the moral code and behavior of our despised enemies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliated
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
our failure to win a single game completely debased us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debased
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026
But the influencer landscape is getting debased and splintered and a bit draining, even for Kylie.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
Now, several polls show that Wyomingites oppose killing wildlife with vehicles, which gives public officials in the next Legislative session an opening to prohibit this debased practice.
—Wendy Keefover, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
The script, penned by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, becomes bizarrely moralistic by the end, insinuating that the debased and debauched might perhaps see their problems solved by becoming domesticated.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026
In an era of debased and divisive politics, Jon Batiste is putting the pop back into populism.
—Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Dec. 2025
Only the first is still fashionable, and the last has been so debased, misused, and weaponized over the centuries as to be almost unspeakable in polite company.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Within this world no others exist, except as things to be debased.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Dogville, from 2003, is an experimental Lars von Trier film shot on a stage set in which Kidman plays a woman debased and abused by the inhabitants of a small town.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Unlike bonds, which promise repayment of the primary investment at a future date, warranting demands for higher yields to offset inflation concerns, gold is a physical asset that cannot be debased by fiscal mismanagement or political interference.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
And this has lent Margot a debased sort of celebrity.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026
But the influencer landscape is getting debased and splintered and a bit draining, even for Kylie.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
Now, several polls show that Wyomingites oppose killing wildlife with vehicles, which gives public officials in the next Legislative session an opening to prohibit this debased practice.
—Wendy Keefover, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
The script, penned by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, becomes bizarrely moralistic by the end, insinuating that the debased and debauched might perhaps see their problems solved by becoming domesticated.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026
In an era of debased and divisive politics, Jon Batiste is putting the pop back into populism.
—Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Dec. 2025
Only the first is still fashionable, and the last has been so debased, misused, and weaponized over the centuries as to be almost unspeakable in polite company.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Haphazardly propped on the ground with wiring and hardware exposed, the flags appear as symbols debased and emptied after centuries of misuse.
—Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Within this world no others exist, except as things to be debased.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Dogville, from 2003, is an experimental Lars von Trier film shot on a stage set in which Kidman plays a woman debased and abused by the inhabitants of a small town.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Unlike bonds, which promise repayment of the primary investment at a future date, warranting demands for higher yields to offset inflation concerns, gold is a physical asset that cannot be debased by fiscal mismanagement or political interference.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debased
Adjective
-
Poor financial decisions have led to bad housing policy and degraded services.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
The Teamsters warned a degraded zoo experience would await visitors who crossed the picket line, suggesting that certain programs such as dolphin shows would be canceled due to the strike.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
An independent redistricting commission — transparent, balanced and insulated from the very political pressures that have corrupted this process.—
Daryl Campbell,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
In an era when youth sports can sometimes feel corrupted by money, pressure and adult ego, the Lee Corso Legacy Fund serves as a reminder of what sports are supposed to be about in the first place.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Verb
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This Mets team, with the second-highest MLB payroll at $369 million, had just been humiliated by a franchise that lost 119 games a year ago.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Other methods of sneaking contraband into a prison include throwing it over a facility’s fence, coordinating through the mail and, in some cases, involving corrupt corrections officers.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
Assessor Gus Kramer stayed in office when a jury deadlocked on a civil grand jury accusation of willful or corrupt misconduct in office.—
East Bay Times editorial,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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People who have weakened immune systems and who experienced intense pain during an initial outbreak are also more susceptible to getting shingles a second (or even third) time.—
Petra Guglielmetti,
Glamour,
7 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, the institutional guardrails have been weakened.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The case later drew attention from the Innocence Project, which said advances in DNA testing ultimately discredited the prosecution’s core forensic evidence.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
But whereas leftist thinkers starting with Marx saw the liberal ideal as totally discredited, a mere camouflage for capitalist power, Habermas kept faith with the utopian potential of liberalism.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company that operates the ship, said the two sick people on board were crew members who required urgent medical are.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
-
There are 88 passengers — including one who has died — and 61 crew members, two of whom are sick, onboard, the operator said Monday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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This new norm deteriorated in Obama’s second term, when a series of individuals climbed FDR’s low fence, including one who popped through the mansion’s main door in 2014.—
Neil Flanagan,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were live-streamed across the globe.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debased. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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