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corrupt

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective corrupt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of corrupt are degenerate, iniquitous, nefarious, vicious, and villainous. While all these words mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct," corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

When might degenerate be a better fit than corrupt?

The meanings of degenerate and corrupt largely overlap; however, degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

When is iniquitous a more appropriate choice than corrupt?

Although the words iniquitous and corrupt have much in common, iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

In what contexts can nefarious take the place of corrupt?

The synonyms nefarious and corrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

When would vicious be a good substitute for corrupt?

While in some cases nearly identical to corrupt, vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

When can villainous be used instead of corrupt?

While the synonyms villainous and corrupt are close in meaning, villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of corrupt
Adjective
Call the corrupt Kier PD and demand an investigation? Erin Qualey, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025 The White Van is a kinetic heist thriller following a troubled young woman who is lured into a criminal scheme that leaves her wanted for bank robbery and hunted by a corrupt cop who doesn’t want justice – but wants the money for himself. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
Sensor Noise: Typically measured with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), this parameter quantifies how much the signal has been corrupted by noise. Elizabeth Duffy, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 Information tends to get lost or corrupted during transitions. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for corrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupt
Adjective
  • Users still using the TikTok app following a ban can also expect a degraded experience, as the app will be forced to rely on foreign servers, potentially resulting in slower performance for American users.
    Esat Dedezade, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Meier is among the authors of a WWF report that outlines steps towards restoring, conserving, and sustainably managing grasslands, and urges for them to be included in global UN targets aiming to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems and 30% of terrestrial and aquatic environments by 2030.
    Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The story revolves around a town where the inhabitants have been mysteriously disappearing and rumours abound that there are ghosts under the lake eating human heads and leaving the rotting corpses floating on the water’s surface.
    Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025
  • The window company used this preservative to prevent wood rot in both the window frames and the sashes.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Israeli forces began military ground operations in Gaza, particularly the Hamas stronghold of Rafah in an effort to degrade the terror group's infrastructure, authorities said Thursday.
    Louis Casiano, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • And even roofs that are still relatively young may begin to show signs of weakness — the sealant that holds asphalt shingles in place often begins to degrade after a decade and can fail when pummeled with high winds.
    Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Tom Seidler, now the Padres’ vice president of community and international impact, bribed John’s 10-year-old son to work on his dad regarding the ubiquitous Petco park chant.
    Kevin Acee, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Sure, Zachary Beck has had his business absorbed into that of a more violent and ruthless arms merchant, but his sins are far worse than just bribing customs officials to avoid import duties on rugs or whatever.
    Chris Klimek, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock alum Tracy Morgan caused a temporary delay at Monday night's NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat after the actor and comedian got sick in his courtside seat during the second half, and later sharing an update on his condition from a hospital bed.
    EW.com, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Nearly 95 people got sick during a norovirus outbreak on a Holland America Line ship, the cruise line’s fourth this year.
    Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • What doesn’t decay this winter can be mulched up next spring.
    Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Sep. 2022
  • In particular, many theorists have wondered how the great complexity of life can be reconciled with the laws of thermodynamics that suggest that all systems must inevitably decay to a state of greatest disorder.
    The Physics arXiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2022
Verb
  • In the past decade, some liberals and progressives have ignored or even worked to subvert free-speech norms, a matter that has been extensively covered in the press.
    Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Another artist new to me was Summer Wheat at the Nazarian/Curcio booth whose paintings subvert traditional representation of women and look like textiles but is actually paint applied through a rigorous process.
    Tom Teicholz, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Tampa Bay is one of the most crooked places in America, according to fraud report data from the Federal Trade Commission.
    Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Talley also said the pathway of the bullet as the pathologist in the case testified disproves any legal theory that Ferguson’s arm was crooked at a 45-degree angle.
    Hetty Chang, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Corrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupt. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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