downgrade

1 of 2

noun

down·​grade ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād How to pronounce downgrade (audio)
Synonyms of downgradenext
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
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Noun
Another downgrade of Nike ahead of earnings next week. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 26 June 2026 The company warns, in the muffled prose of a risk factor, that a credit downgrade could push up its borrowing costs and even change the terms of its data-center leases. Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Verb
Evacuation orders affecting about 300 residents in the Oak Leaf Circle area were downgraded to warnings. Ruyuan Li. Summary Produced By Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 Evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings for a wildfire near Somerset in El Dorado County on Tuesday, officials said. Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 30 June 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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

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