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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024
There’s the medieval brutality: Gómez was a homicidal degenerate who collected torture methods instead of stamps.
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
But season one degenerated into self-indulgent performance art when Fielder chose to place himself at the center of the action as part of an extended exploration of his readiness to be a parent.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 21 Apr. 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
On The Challenge: Battle of the Eras, these now-geriatric degenerates will duke it out for the only prize worth fighting for: making their kids proud.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024
There’s the medieval brutality: Gómez was a homicidal degenerate who collected torture methods instead of stamps.
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
Verb
Their chat degenerates into an argument, and Émilie storms off.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
But season one degenerated into self-indulgent performance art when Fielder chose to place himself at the center of the action as part of an extended exploration of his readiness to be a parent.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degenerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerate
Adjective
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Precious metals and mining stocks were weak across both markets.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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But Democrats see Earle-Sears as a far weaker candidate than Youngkin, operating a worse environment for the GOP.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Rachel and Ray need to go on the run after Ray’s investigation into a corrupt pharmaceutical executive puts their live in peril.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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And then reality crashes down around them in a series of scenes that expose the cruel hypocrisy of Iran’s corrupt system (which purports to uphold morality, but allows men in positions of authority to indulge themselves in egregious ways).—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Special-guest pervert Frank (Sam Rockwell) showcases a monologue about his autogynephilia.—
Armond White,
National Review,
9 Apr. 2025
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Just when things are looking up — a haughty British couple leaves this daughter of Oxfordshire a handsome tip — the dinner pervert turns up for his morning coffee.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood emergency for Ruidoso on Tuesday, warning of rapidly deteriorating conditions and rising river levels that threatened homes and businesses.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
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The latest example of trouble resulting from this definitional confusion comes from the deteriorating relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Shot on low-grade digital cameras that made every image look even more apocalyptic and degraded, the film remains utterly terrifying, boasting excellent supporting turns from Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson as Jim’s fellow survivors.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
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The good news is that General Mills is more than 60% of the way to achieving its goal of advancing regenerative agriculture—farming practices that regenerate degraded soil—on a million acres of land by 2030.—
Dave Levinthal,
Fortune,
16 June 2025
Verb
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On the morning of July 10, immigration agents descended on Glass House Farms near Camarillo and in Carpinteria – a greenhouse complex that is one of the state's largest marijuana farms.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
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Potentially Cloudy Guidance The easyJet share price could very well descend on Thursday if CEO Kenton Jarvis doesn’t reiterate his FY25 PBT guidance of roughly £700-710 million.—
John Choong,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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The dish is finished with a decadent, spicy cream sauce formulated with Calabrian chilis, garlic, butter, white wine, cream and marinara.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
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The September 2023 trip included a decadent state dinner at Versailles in Paris, where the Queen glowed in a caped Dior couture gown and sapphire jewelry from the King George VI Sapphire Suite.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Kids get hurt and get sick, like anyone else; every year, a few in the practice battle life-threatening illness, often cancer.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Mission Viejo raced to the title while playing without wide receiver Vance Spafford (sick), cornerback Jeron Jones (fractured wrist), safeties Sawyer Thomson (knee) and Zachary Foeldi (knee) and wide receiver Max Markofski (hip).—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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