deprave

[ dih-preyv ]
See synonyms for deprave on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),de·praved, de·prav·ing.
  1. to make morally bad or evil; vitiate; corrupt.

  2. Obsolete. to defame.

Origin of deprave

1
1325–75; Middle English depraven (<Anglo-French ) <Latin dēprāvāre to pervert, corrupt, equivalent to dē-de- + prāv(us) crooked + -āre infinitive suffix

Other words from deprave

  • dep·ra·va·tion [dep-ruh-vey-shuhn], /ˌdɛp rəˈveɪ ʃən/, noun
  • de·prav·er, noun
  • de·prav·ing·ly, adverb
  • non·dep·ra·va·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use deprave in a sentence

  • Is it possible that this same civilisation, of which we comfortable ones prate and vaunt, depraves as well as ennobles?

    Grif | B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon
  • There, in Siberia, idleness depraves people, and often calls forth ugly feelings toward life.

    Mother | Maksim Gorky
  • To this it is to be added "that the possession of power depraves men."

    Anarchism | Paul Eltzbacher
  • Right: nemo omnibus horis sapit; no man can be honest at all hours: necessity often depraves virtue.

  • Thus the host of Moumouth became his tyrant; so true is it that personal interest depraves the best natures.

    The Story of a Cat | mile Gigault de La Bdollire

British Dictionary definitions for deprave

deprave

/ (dɪˈpreɪv) /


verb(tr)
  1. to make morally bad; corrupt; vitiate

  2. obsolete to defame; slander

Origin of deprave

1
C14: from Latin dēprāvāre to distort, corrupt, from de- + prāvus crooked

Derived forms of deprave

  • depravation (ˌdɛprəˈveɪʃən), noun
  • depraver, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012