degenerate

14 synonyms and 5 antonyms for degenerate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Having declined from a former, better state; deteriorated.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

drop fast

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

degraded

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

deteriorate pervert deviate deviant devolve debauched libertine dissolute dissipated perv perve

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Having declined from a former, better state; deteriorated.

“Critics called the sequel a degenerate version of the original film.”

drop deteriorate pervert deviate deviant devolve degraded debauched libertine fast dissolute dissipated

2. noun

A person seen as morally corrupt or of poor character.

“The tabloids painted him as a degenerate gambler.”

pervert deviate perv perve deviant

3. verb

To decline in quality, structure, or character over time.

“The debate quickly degenerated into shouting.”

deteriorate devolve drop

Opposites

advance amend recover regenerate improve

How to use degenerate

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

degenerate into chaos moral degenerate

Etymology

A learned borrowing from Latin dēgenerātus, from dē- ("down from") + genus ("kind, birth") — literally "having fallen from one's kind."

Full origin of degenerate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “degenerate” mean?

The word “degenerate” means having declined from a former, better state; deteriorated. In plain terms, something (or someone) that has gotten worse, often morally or structurally.

How do you pronounce “degenerate”?

“Degenerate” is pronounced dih-JEH-nuh-riht (/dɪˈd͡ʒɛnəɹɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “degenerate” in a sentence?

Here is “degenerate” used in a sentence: “Critics called the sequel a degenerate version of the original film.”

What part of speech is “degenerate”?

Depending on how it is used, “degenerate” can be an adjective, a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “degenerate” come from?

The word “degenerate” comes from Latin. A learned borrowing from Latin dēgenerātus, from dē- ("down from") + genus ("kind, birth") — literally "having fallen from one's kind.".

Is “degenerate” a common word?

“Degenerate” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “degenerate” have?

“Degenerate” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: having declined from a former, better state; deteriorated.

Related words

regenerate ungenerate

People also searched

fast drop improve advance recover amend degraded deteriorate pervert regenerate dissipated deviate

Nearby words

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