Synonyms for degenerate
- adjective
- verb
- noun
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Debauched
debauched, decadent, profligate, ignoble, libertine, corrupt, degraded, dissolute, immoral, inferior, mean, base, riotous, fast, dissipated, depraved, vicious, reprobate
Verb
1. Deteriorate
deteriorate, decline, decay, devolve, descend, retrograde, worsen, dwindle, drop, nerf
Other
Noun
Definitions
- adj. 1
Having deteriorated, degraded or fallen from normal, coherent, balanced and desirable to undesirable and typically abnormal.
- v. 1
To lose good or desirable qualities.
His condition continued to degenerate even after admission to hospital.
- n. 1
One who is degenerate, who has fallen from previous stature; an immoral or corrupt person.
In the cult of degenerates, acts of decency, kindness and modesty could be seen as acts of apostasy.
Related words
- Word family
- degenerateness degeneration
- Phrases
- degenerate matrix
Forms
- Plural
- degenerates → deviants, deviates, perverts…
- Past participle
- degenerated
e.g. degenerated → deteriorated, declined, decayed, devolved…
Example sentences
- decadent The tiramisu at Benedito's restaurant is decadent.
- profligate He was a drunkard and a profligate.
- debauched We lived a debauched life, taken by the pleasures of life.
- ignoble Jealousy is, to me, the most ignoble human feeling there is.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| degenerate | steady | |
| decadent | rising | |
| profligate | steady | |
| debauched | rising | |
| ignoble | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- mean1, fast1, base1, drop1, prev, nerf, perv
- 5 letters
- decay2, perve
- 6 letters
- worsen2
- 7 letters
- decline2, corrupt2, vicious2, immoral3, descend2, pervert2, deviate3, deviant3, devolve2, dwindle2, riotous3, ignoble3
- 8 letters
- inferior4, degraded3, decadent3, depraved2
- 9 letters
- libertine3, debauched, dissolute, reprobate3
- 10 letters
- dissipated4, retrograde3, profligate3
- 11 letters
- deteriorate5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (decay2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- dégradé