downgrade

1 of 2

noun

down·​grade ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād How to pronounce downgrade (audio)
1
: a downward grade (as of a road)
2
: a descent toward an inferior state
a career on the downgrade

downgrade

2 of 2

verb

downgraded; downgrading; downgrades

transitive verb

1
: to lower in quality, value, status, or extent
2

Examples of downgrade in a Sentence

Noun a downgrade in the company's stock prices a singing career on the downgrade Verb The restaurant was downgraded from three to two stars. She didn't intend to downgrade the importance of her colleague's work.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Moderna — Shares of the vaccine maker fell more than 2% after a downgrade to neutral from buy at Goldman Sachs. Sean Conlon, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2025 Drury is young and helps the team’s depth, but not nearly enough to make up for the talent downgrade from Rantanen to Necas. Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
In terms of hopeful news, areas including Sierra Madre, Arcadia and northern Pasadena have been downgraded to evacuation warnings, and a couple zones were lifted completely. Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025 Some stocks were downgraded on the back of the tariff announcement, including Constellation Brands . Fred Imbert, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for downgrade 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downgrade was in 1847

Dictionary Entries Near downgrade

Cite this Entry

“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

downgrade

1 of 2 noun
down·​grade -ˌgrād How to pronounce downgrade (audio)
1
: a downward slope
2
: a lowering toward a worse condition
a neighborhood on the downgrade
downgrade adverb

downgrade

2 of 2 verb
: to lower in grade, rank, or standing

More from Merriam-Webster on downgrade

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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