1
as in weak
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
a degenerate society in which people had no sense of being citizens, only consumers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
a movie about a gang of degenerate drug dealers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pervert
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
a degenerate who is uninterested in anything but his own gratification
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
After four years of age, the limited functional retinal tissue degenerates, leading to total and irreversible blindness.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
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
Rafael eventually degenerated into a remnant low on Nov. 10, with its circulation opening into a trough the following day.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
After four years of age, the limited functional retinal tissue degenerates, leading to total and irreversible blindness.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degenerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerate
Adjective
-
Murena Pixel Tablet And Third-Party Apps The ecosystem for Android tablets is weaker than that of Android smartphones.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The health infrastructure that the U.S. would have to marshal against them is already weak.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom is a soap opera about a hospital where the doctors aren’t good-looking or vibrating with noble sentiment but generally corrupt or insane.—
Adam Thirlwell,
The New York Review of Books,
20 Mar. 2025
-
The Filipino-language thriller follows Dahlia, a disillusioned police aide who steals money from the safe of her corrupt police chief boss, distributing it to slum dwellers whose homes were destroyed.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The days of pandering to perverts and woke PFCs are over.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Another of the girls called Essex a pervert, which prompted their mother to ask more questions.—
Keri Blakinger,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Seeing Postecoglou snap at such a mild remark demonstrated how much the Australian’s relationship with the fans has deteriorated.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Wood shelves in dry food storage area were deteriorated.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
21 Mar. 2025
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
-
What begins as a refuge quickly descends into a nightmare as the siblings uncover dark cult practices and confront an ancient evil lurking beneath the surface.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2025
-
Last month, the press conference for the upcoming bout previously descended into a bit of chaos when Eubank Jr produced an egg from his pocket and hit his British rival across the cheek with his left hand – he was later fined £100,000 for this outburst.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The floral-meets-woody aroma is subtly decadent and also smells powerfully sophisticated.—
Alexis Bennett Parker,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Intense floral aromas of roses and violets entwine with decadent chocolate.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Degenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share