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
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Dec. 2024
But, if Bardella is the ideal political son-in-law, Attal seemed to be dealing with degenerating family ties.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
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
Mehmet Oz, who would supervise Medicare and Medicaid, was a respected heart surgeon before degenerating into snake-oil television salesmanship.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Dec. 2024
But, if Bardella is the ideal political son-in-law, Attal seemed to be dealing with degenerating family ties.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for degenerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerate
Adjective
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Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead called the case weak and a deterrent to tech investment in a blog post on Sunday.—
Jody Godoy,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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Dell Technologies’ balance sheet appears relatively weak.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Taking away a tool that saves millions of Americans money to boost the tax prep industry's profits is another corrupt giveaway to Big Business.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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By the end of the finale episode, Kingpin has essentially taken control of the entire city and the Punisher is kidnapped by the corrupt police but Daredevil is assembling his own army to combat the tyrant.—
Skyler Trepel,
People.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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Outside the courthouse on Friday, Toner’s lawyer made a brief statement about his pervert client.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Israel-Turkey relations deteriorated in 2010 after Israeli naval commandos intercepted a humanitarian flotilla attempting to breach the blockade on the Gaza Strip.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Experts noted that the election took place in a deeply divided nation, where citizens were split on how best to confront surging crime and a deteriorating economy.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This new species was found around villages and gardens, as well as in degraded habitats at a mine site.—
Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
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First, one neural network takes high-quality images from one instrument and simulates degraded images as if they were taken by a different, lower-quality instrument.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Her friend Alice is descending a dimly lit stairway.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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In an era when political discourse so often descends into outrage and division — on cable news, in Congress, even in school board races — the quiet decency shown in Skokie feels all the more remarkable.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Celebrations at Chicago restaurants run the gamut, featuring decadent buffets, egg decorating, a traditional midnight feast and a drag show.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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Get The Recipe Chocolate Delight Surprise the holiday crowd with a decadent chocolate dessert that will bring back memories.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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It seems squarely aimed at making kids sick by discouraging vaccination.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2025
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Steward said his daughter, while surfing nearby, became sick with an infection from a type of bacteria called MRSA, which is resistant to many antibiotics.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerate. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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