as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
the debauched philanderer was the talk of the town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in degraded
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew to the point where they no longer acted like naval professionals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 debauched
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
The event involves no less than three after-parties, and the film bounces between Nick’s future self and Mike trying to prevent Present Nick from serving him up on a silver platter to Sosa while Jimmy Boy is busy enjoying his newfound freedom to its debauched fullest.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 16 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 a major change from the book, the period drama opens at a debauched public hanging, where a young Catherine Earnshaw (Charlotte Mellington) looks on as a man dangles from a noose.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
There were months of speculation that Sam Levinson’s debauched series—about teenagers getting up to stuff no parent ever wants to know about—wouldn’t be able to get off the ground for a third run thanks to the new star power and busy schedules of its cast (Zendaya!
—Lucy Ford, Time, 27 Dec. 2025
The film follows a wealthy socialite and a struggling writer who are thrown together at a debauched party.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The sun shines on the empty wine bottles and related detritus of last night’s debauched party.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
The event involves no less than three after-parties, and the film bounces between Nick’s future self and Mike trying to prevent Present Nick from serving him up on a silver platter to Sosa while Jimmy Boy is busy enjoying his newfound freedom to its debauched fullest.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 16 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 a major change from the book, the period drama opens at a debauched public hanging, where a young Catherine Earnshaw (Charlotte Mellington) looks on as a man dangles from a noose.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
There were months of speculation that Sam Levinson’s debauched series—about teenagers getting up to stuff no parent ever wants to know about—wouldn’t be able to get off the ground for a third run thanks to the new star power and busy schedules of its cast (Zendaya!
—Lucy Ford, Time, 27 Dec. 2025
The film follows a wealthy socialite and a struggling writer who are thrown together at a debauched party.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
The dark comedy follows a wealthy socialite, Stacy (Cherry), and a struggling writer, Becky (Chalotra), who are brought together at a lavish, debauched New York party.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debauched
Adjective
-
Smuggling — sometimes by rope, sometimes with the help of corrupt jail guards — has long been a problem at the troubled federal jail, which has been plagued by violence, horrific conditions and severe staffing shortages for years.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
No corrupt leader enriching himself and the Epstein class buddies.—
Diego Parrado,
Vanity Fair,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Riboua was more skeptical, arguing that Hezbollah would likely survive the collapse of the government in Tehran but would be vastly degraded.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Years of use as a makeshift neighborhood have degraded the forest and contributed to pollution in Coyote Creek, which drains into San Francisco Bay, city leaders say.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That leaves a sicker, older, more expensive pool of enrollees, which pushes up premiums for everyone.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, many began calling in sick or quitting entirely.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Murdering a teenaged iconic athlete shows how deeply depraved the Iranian leadership is.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Trump's No Kings video was truly depraved.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In the wine room, a similar level of decadent drama reigns.—
Kathryn O’Shea-Evans,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The avenue where tension is rich and decadent is on display here.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Goodwill is corrupted on arrival by the modern virtue of avarice.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Helberg, cast as inventor Martin Phister, opens up about their characters who are trying to be virtuous and end up getting corrupted instead.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Ian Littleworth’s Happy, the dissolute son always looking for an easy way out, seems unsettled not only in his bearings but in his command of the script.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Similarly, Early’s dissolute failson feels less like a self-portrait than like a darkly comic deflection, a gargoyle-ish stand-in for his creator’s anxieties.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Constitution has been perverted in ways by administrations on both sides of the aisle to facilitate military action.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Organized sports can easily be perverted.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debauched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debauched. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
