1
as in weak
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
a degenerate society in which people had no sense of being citizens, only consumers
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2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
a movie about a gang of degenerate drug dealers
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as in pervert
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
a degenerate who is uninterested in anything but his own gratification
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as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degenerate
Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
The result is a book laden with put-downs of the English working class, who are cast in eugenicist terms as a degenerate race.
—Lennard J. Davis, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2024
Patrick Frater, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
When every game gets presented as a point spread, and when every shot becomes merely an input in a degenerate’s parlay math, the game feels cheapened.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
After four years of age, the limited functional retinal tissue degenerates, leading to total and irreversible blindness.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degenerate
Adjective
Or have his years in finance scrambled his brain and turned him into a degenerate gambler, both at the office and outside it?
—Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
The result is a book laden with put-downs of the English working class, who are cast in eugenicist terms as a degenerate race.
—Lennard J. Davis, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2024
Noun
When valuable treasure is discovered off the coast of Korea, the country’s biggest degenerates come crawling out of the woodwork in the hope of striking it big.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
When every game gets presented as a point spread, and when every shot becomes merely an input in a degenerate’s parlay math, the game feels cheapened.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
Rafael eventually degenerated into a remnant low on Nov. 10, with its circulation opening into a trough the following day.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
After four years of age, the limited functional retinal tissue degenerates, leading to total and irreversible blindness.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degenerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerate
Adjective
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Murena Pixel Tablet And Third-Party Apps The ecosystem for Android tablets is weaker than that of Android smartphones.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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The health infrastructure that the U.S. would have to marshal against them is already weak.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom is a soap opera about a hospital where the doctors aren’t good-looking or vibrating with noble sentiment but generally corrupt or insane.—
Adam Thirlwell,
The New York Review of Books,
20 Mar. 2025
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The Filipino-language thriller follows Dahlia, a disillusioned police aide who steals money from the safe of her corrupt police chief boss, distributing it to slum dwellers whose homes were destroyed.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The days of pandering to perverts and woke PFCs are over.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
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Another of the girls called Essex a pervert, which prompted their mother to ask more questions.—
Keri Blakinger,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Seeing Postecoglou snap at such a mild remark demonstrated how much the Australian’s relationship with the fans has deteriorated.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Wood shelves in dry food storage area were deteriorated.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Users still using the TikTok app following a ban can also expect a degraded experience, as the app will be forced to rely on foreign servers, potentially resulting in slower performance for American users.—
Esat Dedezade,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
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Meier is among the authors of a WWF report that outlines steps towards restoring, conserving, and sustainably managing grasslands, and urges for them to be included in global UN targets aiming to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems and 30% of terrestrial and aquatic environments by 2030.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN,
6 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The country has descended into violent disarray in the forthcoming thriller feature All the Lost Ones.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2025
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However, the meeting descends into a chaotic argument between Zelensky and Trump after Vice President JD Vance attacks Zelensky and suggests Ukraine should use diplomacy to end the war, accusing him of not wanting peace.—
Antoinette Radford,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Delicate, indulgent, and undeniably luxurious, caviar is a decadent addition to any dish—even dessert.—
Katie Kelly Bell,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2025
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The more the gorgeous Dorian Gray falls under the decadent influence of Lord Henry Wotton, the uglier the painting by Basil Hallward becomes.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This has not been a good week for United, which was also accused of trying to shut off the ventilator of a sick one-year-old child.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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By many accounts, Planned Parenthood is an incurably sick beast whose time is nearing its end.—
Erik Baptist,
National Review,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerate. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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