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
Ted Scheinman, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025
On Friday, Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy degenerated into a shouting match, and the latter left without a deal toward peace.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 4 Mar. 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
Belger said spending time with the researchers and with friends on the Navajo Nation impressed on him the urgency of photographing the site now, before these extraordinary structures degenerate further.
—Ted Scheinman, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025
On Friday, Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy degenerated into a shouting match, and the latter left without a deal toward peace.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degenerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerate
Adjective
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In contrast, the founders of the United States, fearful of tyranny, created a weak federal government that could barely impose taxes, let alone establish a national theater.—
Joanna Dee Das,
The Conversation,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Williams nails the paradox at the center of the show: As Molly’s body grows weaker, her self-possession grows stronger.—
Margaret Lyons,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Ellen Pompeo, Bella Ramsey, Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Paul Feig & More Based on the New York Times best-selling comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys follows a group of vigilantes who aim to keep corrupt superheroes in check.—
Ryan Fleming,
Deadline,
6 Apr. 2025
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On top of that, Adams has sagging poll numbers, low fundraising dollars and the appearance of a corrupt bargain with President Trump.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Using nature without spiritual belief (which Wicked perverts and so gets defended for its obvious, offensive politics) weakens The Wild Robot as a morality tale.—
Armond White,
National Review,
26 Feb. 2025
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The days of pandering to perverts and woke PFCs are over.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Additionally, inspectors said, grout had deteriorated between floor tiles at the cook’s line.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Based on the aforementioned trends, employment outcomes haven’t gotten better over the past decade and are likely to deteriorate further.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Apple spent years ignoring RCS, allowing iPhones to offer a degraded messaging experience with Android users.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
1 Apr. 2025
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Figure 4 shows an example of a daytime camera image in degraded visibility conditions, of a 1 m wide buoy at a range of 2 nautical miles (3.6 miles).—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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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This Chocolate Dutch Baby is very simple to make but feels luxurious and decadent.—
Olivia Quintana,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
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This decadent classic cake has a secret pantry ingredient that helps make this layered delight extra moist.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The band canceled these tour dates due to singer and guitarist DeLonge getting sick.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2025
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His mother was still sick, and Mr. Sancho-Persad started working as her caregiver in the morning for $18.75 an hour, paid through Medicaid, while still driving his cab at night.—
Jonah Markowitz,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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