de·base
Audio Help [di-beys] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [di-beys] Pronunciation Key –verb (used with object), -based, -bas·ing.
| 1. | to reduce in quality or value; adulterate: They debased the value of the dollar. |
| 2. | to lower in rank, dignity, or significance: He wouldn't debase himself by doing manual labor. |
—Related forms
de·base·ment, noun
de·bas·er, noun
de·bas·ing·ly, adverb
—Synonyms 1. lower, vitiate, corrupt; contaminate, pollute, defile. 2. degrade, abase, demean, reduce.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
Debase
To learn more about Debase visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| de·base
Audio Help (dĭ-bās') Pronunciation Key
tr.v. de·based, de·bas·ing, de·bas·es To lower in character, quality, or value; degrade. See Synonyms at adulterate, corrupt, degrade. [de- + base2.] de·base'ment n., de·bas'er n. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
debase
1568, from base "low," on analogy of abase.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| debase | |
verb | |
| 1. | corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals" |
| 2. | lower in value by increasing the base-metal content |
| 3. | corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones; "adulterate liquor" [syn: load] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
Debase
A*base"\ ([.a]*b[=a]s"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abased ([.a]*b[=a]st"); p. pr. & vb. n. Abasing.] [F. abaisser, LL. abassare, abbassare; ad + bassare, fr. bassus low. See Base, a.]1. To lower or depress; to throw or cast down; as, to abase the eye. [Archaic] --Bacon. Saying so, he abased his lance. --Shelton. 2. To cast down or reduce low or lower, as in rank, office, condition in life, or estimation of worthiness; to depress; to humble; to degrade. Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased. --Luke xiv. ll. Syn: To Abase, Debase, Degrade. These words agree in the idea of bringing down from a higher to a lower state. Abase has reference to a bringing down in condition or feelings; as, to abase the proud, to abase one's self before God. Debase has reference to the bringing down of a thing in purity, or making it base. It is, therefore, always used in a bad sense, as, to debase the coin of the kingdom, to debase the mind by vicious indulgence, to debase one's style by coarse or vulgar expressions. Degrade has reference to a bringing down from some higher grade or from some standard. Thus, a priest is degraded from the clerical office. When used in a moral sense, it denotes a bringing down in character and just estimation; as, degraded by intemperance, a degrading employment, etc. "Art is degraded when it is regarded only as a trade."| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web
Perform a new search, or try your search for "Debase" at:
- Amazon.com - Shop for books, music and more
- Reference.com - Encyclopedia Search
- Reference.com - Web Search powered by Google
- Thesaurus.com - Search for synonyms and antonyms














