EN

Synonyms for debase

  • verb

Most common

pervert subvert vitiate debauch stretch dilute humiliate butcher

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Vitiate

vitiate, debauch, demoralize UK US, demoralise UK, pervert, subvert, profane, pollute, contaminate, misdirect, deprave, desecrate, ravish, violate, misuse, warp

2. Corrupt — to lower the value of (a currency) by reducing the amount of valuable metal in the coins

corrupt, dilute, alloy, sophisticate, stretch, load, bastardize UK US, bastardise UK, adulterate formal dated, dash dated, adulter dated rare

3. Humiliate — to lower in position or rank

humiliate, degrade, disparage, demean, devalue, weaken, depress, disgrace, sully, reduce, discredit, besmirch, vilify, dishonor US, dishonour UK, defile, sink, taint, humble, injure, impair, take down, depreciate

Other

butcher, vulgarize, vulgarise UK

Antonyms

elevate, dignify, exalt

All antonyms of debase →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To lower in position or rank.

  2. v. 2

    To lower the value of (a currency) by reducing the amount of valuable metal in the coins.

  3. v. 3

    To lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade.

Related words

Word family
debased debasement debaser
Is a kind of
aggravate

Forms

Past participle
debased
e.g. debased → vitiated, debauched, demoralized, perverted…

Choose the right word

Debase, Abase or Disgrace?

Debase applies to quality or character. Misfortune or injustice may abase the good; nothing but their own ill-doing can debase or disgrace them.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • pervert Gustavo must have known John was a pervert.
  • subvert Alana, stop trying to subvert the company goals.
  • vitiate Repeated delays may vitiate the public's confidence in the project.
  • debauch The pirates wished to debauch him because of his beauty.
  • stretch My friend got to ride a stretch limousine to prom!
  • dilute Can I use this solvent to dilute my sample?

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
debasesteady
pervertrising
subvertrising
vitiatefalling
debauchsteady
stretchrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
load1, sink1, dash1, warp1
5 letters
alloy2, sully2, taint1
6 letters
reduce2, humble2, misuse2, weaken2, injure2, dilute2, impair2, demean2, defile, vilify3, ravish
7 letters
stretch1, corrupt2, violate3, butcher2, pervert2, degrade2, subvert2, profane2, pollute2, depress2, devalue3, vitiate3, debauch, deprave2
8 letters
disgrace2, dishonor3, besmirch
9 letters
discredit3, humiliate4, dishonour, disparage3, desecrate3, misdirect3, vulgarize, vulgarise
10 letters
depreciate4, demoralize4, demoralise, adulterate4, bastardize, bastardise
11 letters
contaminate4
12 letters
sophisticate4

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (alloy2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
abâtardir
Español
bastardear