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
Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
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
Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
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
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
There’s the medieval brutality: Gómez was a homicidal degenerate who collected torture methods instead of stamps.
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
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
Verb
This latest performance degenerated into a litany of basic defensive errors, as illustrated by all three of Brentford’s first-half goals.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for degenerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerate
Adjective
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Thanks to a weak front sliding across Central Florida, Thursday will be a bit cooler than prior days.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
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The grand jury also criticizes city officials for weak oversight and enforcement of their contract with the Humane Society, which requires the nonprofit to enforce leash laws at 400 city parks and other venues.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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In fact, Evans’ plotline as the corrupt Reverend Drew essentially runs parallel to Qualley’s and the lack of intersection is a curious oversight.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
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In a later scene, Lamia narrowly escapes the claws of a similarly corrupt and ill-intentioned predator, using her wits and sharpened intuition.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
19 May 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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While more durable than the original Irish linen that encased the wings when the KC Eaglet rolled out of the factory on Aug. 12, 1930, all fabrics will deteriorate over time from exposure to the sun.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
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Their mental health deteriorated, which reinforced the officer’s excuse to keep them deadlocked.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Maltz served as the lead author on a meta-analysis of how soil inoculation with different species of mycorrhizal fungi can affect degraded ecosystems.—
Lauren Oster,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 May 2025
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For example, sponsor initiatives to restore degraded ecosystems, protect endangered species or support reforestation.—
Jamie Houston,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The intense setup here is fairly straightforward as these types of sci-fi mystery shows go, with Buenos Aires residents going about their evenings when a sudden nightmarish snowfall descends over the metropolis, killing millions indiscriminately.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
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The American entrepreneur was one of the five passengers killed on June 18, 2023, while the compact submersible descended en route to the wreckage of the Titanic, and Rush is now in all the talking heads' crosshairs as the villain of this tragic story.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The Bottom Line Picking a decadent dark chocolate that can also offer health benefits is totally doable.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
26 May 2025
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Tasters kept coming back to it for its delicate balance of light and buoyant tang with creamy and decadent texture.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Each year, about 48 million people in the U.S. get sick with foodborne illnesses, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Stephanie Armour,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2025
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Pregnant women are at high risk of serious complications from the virus and their newborns are in danger of getting really sick from COVID.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerate. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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