- causing humiliation; debasing
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
de•grad•ing
(di grā′ding),USA pronunciation adj.
de•grad′ing•ly, adv.
de•grad′ing•ness, n.
- that degrades;
debasing;
humiliating:degrading submission.
- degrade + -ing2 1675–85
de•grad′ing•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
degrading /dɪˈɡreɪdɪŋ/ adj
de•grade /dɪˈgreɪd/USA pronunciation
v., -grad•ed, -grad•ing.
de•gra•ding, adj.: a degrading task.See -grad-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [ ~ + obj] to lower in dignity or in respect; debase:She wouldn't degrade herself by cheating.
- Chemistry[no obj] (esp. of an organic compound) to break down or decompose:plastics that degrade for a thousand years.
de•gra•ding, adj.: a degrading task.See -grad-.
de•grade
(di grād′ or, for 3, dē grād′),USA pronunciation v., -grad•ed, -grad•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
de•grad′er, n.
v.t.
- to lower in dignity or estimation;
bring into contempt:He felt they were degrading him by making him report to the supervisor. - to lower in character or quality;
debase. - to reduce (someone) to a lower rank, degree, etc.;
deprive of office, rank, status, or title, esp. as a punishment:degraded from director to assistant director. - to reduce in amount, strength, intensity, etc.
- Place Names[Physical Geog.]to wear down by erosion, as hills. Cf. aggrade.
- Chemistryto break down (a compound, esp. an organic hydrocarbon).
v.i.
- to become degraded;
weaken or worsen;
deteriorate. - Chemistry(esp. of an organic hydrocarbon compound) to break down or decompose.
- Late Latin dēgradāre, equivalent. to Latin dē- de- + grad(us) grade + -āre infinitive suffix
- Middle English degraden 1275–1325
- 1. disgrace, dishonor, discredit. See humble. 2. abase, vitiate. 3. demote, depose, downgrade, lower, cashier, break.
- 1. 2. exalt. 3. promote.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
degrade /dɪˈɡreɪd/ vb
- (transitive) to reduce in worth, character, etc; disgrace; dishonour
- /diːˈɡreɪd/ (transitive) to reduce in rank, status, or degree; remove from office; demote
- (transitive) to reduce in strength, quality, intensity, etc
- to reduce or be reduced by erosion or down-cutting, as a land surface or bed of a river
- to decompose or be decomposed into atoms or smaller molecules
'degrading' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):