de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-rət 
-ˈje-nə-,
dē-
1
a
: having declined or become less specialized (as in nature, character, structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state
the last degenerate member of a noble family—
W. E. Swinton
W. E. Swinton
b
: having sunk to a condition below that which is normal to a type
… fruit so degenerate that the insects weren't even interested …—Tamar Perla
Tamar Perla
especially
: having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious state
a degenerate schemer
a despairing and degenerate world had sunk into servitude beneath him —W. L. Sullivan
W. L. Sullivan
c
: degraded sense 2
the functionally degenerate wings of the species
2
mathematics
: being simpler (as by having a factor or constant equal to zero) than the typical case
a degenerate hyperbola
3
physics and astronomy
: characterized by atoms stripped of their electrons and by very great density
degenerate matter
also
: consisting of degenerate matter
a degenerate star
4
physics and chemistry
: having two or more states or subdivisions especially of the same energy or frequency
degenerate energy level
degenerate oscillation
5
degenerately
adverb
degenerateness
noun
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈje-nə-ˌrāt
dē-
degenerated; degenerating; degenerates
1
: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition : deteriorate
her fixed mysterious smile degenerated into a fatuous stare—J. C. Powys
J. C. Powys2
: to sink into a low intellectual or moral state
The debate degenerated into a shouting match.
At the same time, discotheques degenerated into seedier venues … —shifty, often Mob-run last-martini stops for business commuters …—Peter Braunstein
Peter Braunstein3
: to decline in quality
the poetry gradually degenerates into jingles
… the sitcom has degenerated into a sparring ring of personal insult—James Wolcott
James Wolcott4
biology
: to decline from a condition or from the standards of a species, race, or breed
5
biology
: to evolve or develop into a less autonomous (see autonomous sense 2a) or less functionally active form
degenerated into dependent parasites
: to cause to degenerate
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-rət
-ˈje-nə-,
dē-
: one that is degenerate (see degenerate entry 1) : such as
a
: one degraded from the normal moral standard
social degenerates
b
: a sexual pervert
c
anthropology
: one showing signs of reversion (see reversion sense 3a) to an earlier culture stage
Synonyms
Adjective
Verb
Noun
Examples of degenerate in a Sentence
Adjective
He criticizes what he believes is a degenerate society.
a degenerate society in which people had no sense of being citizens, only consumers
Verb
over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers
Noun
a couple of degenerates on a crime spree
a degenerate who is uninterested in anything but his own gratification
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
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
Fatemeh Fannizadeh, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Another protest at a nearby plant degenerated—with bonfires and looting—and the next day, security forces quashed it by shooting into the crowd, killing five people.
—Stéphanie Giry, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2015
Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024
There’s the medieval brutality: Gómez was a homicidal degenerate who collected torture methods instead of stamps.
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for degenerate 
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.
Adjective
Ammon did appear tempted to talk the walk in Portland, to become the Mormon cowboy philosopher king wandering a degenerate realm of an ailing Republic, but by now time was in extremely short supply.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
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
Verb
Degen is short for degenerate gambler and refers to people engaging in highly speculative trading.
—Fatemeh Fannizadeh, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Another protest at a nearby plant degenerated—with bonfires and looting—and the next day, security forces quashed it by shooting into the crowd, killing five people.
—Stéphanie Giry, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2015
Noun
On The Challenge: Battle of the Eras, these now-geriatric degenerates will duke it out for the only prize worth fighting for: making their kids proud.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024
There’s the medieval brutality: Gómez was a homicidal degenerate who collected torture methods instead of stamps.
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for degenerate
Dictionary Entries Near degenerate
Cite this Entry
“Degenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/degenerate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
degenerate
1 of 3 adjective
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
degenerately
adverb
degenerate
2 of 3 verb
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt
1
: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition : deteriorate
the meeting degenerated into noisy chatter
2
: to undergo evolution toward an earlier or less highly organized biological form
degenerate
3 of 3 noun
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
: a degenerate person
Medical Definition
degenerate
1 of 3 adjective
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
1
a
: having declined (as in nature, character, structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state
especially
: having deteriorated progressively (as in the process of evolution) especially through loss of structure and function
b
: having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious state
2
: having more than one codon representing an amino acid
also
: being such a codon
degenerate
2 of 3 intransitive verb
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt
degenerated; degenerating
1
: to sink into a low intellectual or moral state
2
: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition: as
a
: to gradually deteriorate so that normal function or structure is impaired or lost
the retina degenerated
b
: to decline from the standards of a species, race, or breed
3
: to evolve or develop into a less autonomous or less functionally active form
degenerated into dependent parasites
degenerate
3 of 3 noun
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
: one that is degenerate: as
a
: one degraded from the normal moral standard
b
: a sexual pervert
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share