Debase - English meaning

verb

Render (something) poorer in quality by adding another substance.

Usage examples:

The brewer is said to adulterate his beer

adjective

Not pure or genuine.

Usage examples:

Adulterate remedies

verb

To make something weaker or of worse quality by adding something else to it

Usage examples:

Saffron is very expensive, and is often adulterated with other plants.

noun

A metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, especially to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion.

Usage examples:

An alloy of nickel, bronze, and zinc

verb

Mix (metals) to make an alloy.

Usage examples:

Alloying tin with copper to make bronze

noun

A metal that is made by mixing together two or more metals, or a metal and another substance

verb

Change (something) in such a way as to lower its quality or value, typically by adding new elements.

Usage examples:

Our biggest fear was they were going to take our script and bastardize it

verb

To change something in a way that makes it fail to represent the values and qualities that it is intended to represent

verb

Make or become black or dark, especially as a result of burning, decay, or bruising.

Usage examples:

Stone blackened by the soot of ages

verb

To make something black

Usage examples:

For miles around, trees were blackened by the fire.

noun

A small mark or flaw which spoils the appearance of something.

Usage examples:

The girl's hands were without a blemish

verb

Spoil the appearance or quality of (something).

Usage examples:

His reign as world champion has been blemished by controversy

noun

A mark or fault that spoils the appearance of someone or something

Usage examples:

Makeup can cover up your skin blemishes., only one blemish spoiled her school record.

verb

Reduce the price of.

Usage examples:

The depreciation of the dollar would cheapen us exports

verb

To make someone or something seem less valuable and less deserving of respect

Usage examples:

What the author hates about forgeries is that they cheapen true art.

verb

Make (something) impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance.

Usage examples:

The site was found to be contaminated by radioactivity

verb

To make something less pure or make it poisonous

Usage examples:

The disease can be caused by a variety of viruses, bacteria, and other small organisms that contami…

verb

To make something less pure or make it poisonous

Usage examples:

The government recently reported that 10% of farmland has been destroyed by pollution and that heav…

adjective

Having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.

Usage examples:

Unscrupulous logging companies assisted by corrupt officials

verb

Cause to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.

Usage examples:

There is a continuing fear of firms corrupting politicians in the search for contracts

adjective

Dishonest and willing to use your position or power to your own advantage, esp. for money

Usage examples:

It’s been called the most politically corrupt city in the nation., your philosophy is corrupt., pol…

verb

Damage the purity or appearance of; mar or spoil.

Usage examples:

The land was defiled by a previous owner

noun

A steep-sided narrow gorge or passage (originally one requiring troops to march in single file).

Usage examples:

The twisting track wormed its way up a defile to level ground

verb

(of troops) march in single file.

Usage examples:

We emerged after defiling through the mountainsides

verb

Treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect.

Usage examples:

She thought that many supposedly erotic pictures degraded women

verb

To reduce the quality of something

Usage examples:

Degrading water/air quality, degraded sound quality, the state is funding projects to restore degra…

verb

To become worse in quality, or to make something worse

Usage examples:

Unlike with a cassette player, the sound of the mp3 player doesn't degrade as the battery weakens.

verb

Cause a severe loss in the dignity of and respect for (someone or something).

Usage examples:

I had demeaned the profession

verb

Conduct oneself in a particular way.

Usage examples:

No man demeaned himself so honourably

verb

To cause to become less respected

Usage examples:

I wouldn’t demean myself by asking my father for money., it was demeaning to be asked to leave beca…

verb

Diminish in value over a period of time.

Usage examples:

The latest cars will depreciate heavily in the first year

verb

To cause something to lose value, esp. over time

Usage examples:

Malawi’s currency was rapidly depreciating., the dollar’s depreciation will lead to higher inflatio…

verb

When a company depreciates an asset, such as a piece of equipment, it reduces its value in its accounts over a certain length of time

Usage examples:

Machine tools are typically depreciated over seven years., the government allowed the currency to d…

verb

Reduce or underestimate the worth or importance of.

Usage examples:

I resent the way people seem to devalue my achievement

verb

To reduce the rate at which one currency can be exchanged for another

Usage examples:

It caused a major crisis when the pound was devalued., the banking system was in trouble before the…

verb

Make (a liquid) thinner or weaker by adding water or another solvent to it.

Usage examples:

Bleach can be diluted with cold water

adjective

(of a liquid) made thinner or weaker by having had water or another solvent added to it.

Usage examples:

The water turnover rates of hummingbirds feeding on dilute nectar are more similar to those of amph…

verb

To make a liquid weaker by mixing it with water or another liquid

Usage examples:

Dilute the bleach in water before adding it to the wash., he disinfected the tub with a solution of…

verb

Harm the good reputation of.

Usage examples:

His remarks were taken out of context in an effort to discredit him

noun

Loss or lack of reputation or respect.

Usage examples:

His actions were such that they brought discredit on his profession

verb

To give people reason to stop believing someone or to doubt the truth of something

Usage examples:

The old soviet economic model has been thoroughly discredited., it’s the job of the defense to disc…

noun

Loss of reputation or respect as the result of a dishonourable action.

Usage examples:

He left the army in disgrace

verb

Bring shame or discredit on.

Usage examples:

You have disgraced the family name

noun

Embarrassment and the loss of other people’s respect, or behavior that causes this

Usage examples:

He resigned in disgrace., he’s a disgrace to his family., the lies my opponent is telling about me …

noun

A state of shame or disgrace.

Usage examples:

They have brought dishonour upon our family

verb

Bring shame or disgrace on.

Usage examples:

The ceremony was undertaken if a pupil had done something to dishonour the school

verb

If a bank dishonours a cheque, it refuses to pay it because there is not enough money in the account of the person who has written the cheque

Usage examples:

The bank of australia reversed its decision to raise fees for dishonored checks., the government ha…

adjective

Offensive to the senses, especially through having a disgusting smell or taste or being dirty.

Usage examples:

A foul odour

noun

(in sport) an unfair or invalid stroke or piece of play, especially one involving interference with an opponent.

Usage examples:

The midfielder was booked for a foul on ford

adverb

Contrary to the rules; unfairly.

Usage examples:

That's the real problem: even guys who want to play fair are under pressure from cheaters to play f…

verb

Make a low, steady continuous sound like that of a bee.

Usage examples:

The computers hummed

noun

A low, steady continuous sound.

Usage examples:

The hum of insects

exclamation

Used to express hesitation or dissent.

Usage examples:

‘ah, hum, elsie, isn't it?’

verb

Contaminate (water, the air, etc.) with harmful or poisonous substances.

Usage examples:

The explosion polluted the town with dioxin

Contaminate; make impure

verb

To make air, water, or earth dirty or harmful to people, animals, and plants, esp. by adding harmful chemicals or waste

Usage examples:

Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are polluting the groundwater., maybe there’s some kind of chem…

noun

A person, in particular a woman, who engages in sexual activity for payment.

Usage examples:

Others attended the ‘circuses’ in which prostitutes performed sexual stunts.

verb

Offer (someone) for sexual activity in exchange for payment.

Usage examples:

Although she was paid £15 to join a man at his table, she never prostituted herself

noun

Someone, usually a woman, who has sex with people for money

Usage examples:

Hundreds of widowed or hungry women have had to prostitute themselves to survive., fig. some critic…

noun

A painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour.

Usage examples:

She was hot with shame

verb

Make (someone) feel ashamed.

Usage examples:

I tried to shame him into giving some away

exclamation

Used to express sentimental pleasure, especially at something small and endearing.

Usage examples:

Look at the foals—shame, aren't they sweet?

verb

Diminish or destroy the value or quality of.

Usage examples:

I wouldn't want to spoil your fun

noun

Goods stolen or taken forcibly from a person or place.

Usage examples:

The looters carried their spoils away

verb

To destroy or damage something, or to become destroyed or damaged

Usage examples:

[ t ] the oil spill spoiled five miles of coastline., [ t ] don’t tell me how it ends, you’ll spoil…

verb

Damage the purity or integrity of.

Usage examples:

They were outraged that anyone should sully their good name

verb

To spoil something that is pure or someone's perfect reputation

Usage examples:

His reputation, he said, had been unfairly sullied by half-truths and innuendos., no speck of dirt …

noun

A trace of a bad or undesirable substance or quality.

Usage examples:

The lingering taint of creosote

verb

Contaminate or pollute (something).

Usage examples:

The air was tainted by fumes from the cars

noun

The perineum.

verb

Lose or cause to lose lustre, especially as a result of exposure to air or moisture.

Usage examples:

Silver tarnishes too easily

noun

Dullness of colour; loss of brightness.

Usage examples:

Silver can be oxidized to give the effect of tarnish, and this coloration was popular in europe and…

verb

(of metal surfaces) to become less bright or a different color

Usage examples:

[ i ] silver tarnishes easily., [ t ] the scandal has tarnished the agency’s reputation.

verb

Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of.

Usage examples:

Development programmes have been vitiated by the rise in population

verb

To destroy or damage something

Usage examples:

He said that american military power should never again be vitiated by political concerns.