DEBASE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does debase mean? 

• DEBASE (verb)
  The verb DEBASE has 3 senses:

1. corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
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

  Familiarity information: DEBASE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEBASE (verb)

Meaning:

Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

profane; pervert; misdirect; deprave; demoralize; demoralise; debauch; debase; corrupt; vitiate; subvert

Context examples:

debauch the young people with wine and women / Socrates was accused of corrupting young men / Do school counselors subvert young children? / corrupt the morals

Hypernyms (to "debase" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "debase"):

carnalise; carnalize; sensualise; sensualize (debase through carnal gratification)

infect (contaminate with ideas or an ideology)

lead astray; lead off (teach immoral behavior to)

whore (corrupt by lewd intercourse)

poison (spoil as if by poison)

bastardise; bastardize (change something so that its value declines; for example, art forms)

suborn (incite to commit a crime or an evil deed)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Meaning:

Lower in value by increasing the base-metal content

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

alloy; debase

Hypernyms (to "debase" is one way to...):

devalue (lower the value or quality of)

Domain category:

metallurgy (the science and technology of metals)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Meaning:

Corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

adulterate; dilute; debase; stretch

Context example:

adulterate liquor

Hypernyms (to "debase" is one way to...):

corrupt; spoil (alter from the original)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "debase"):

water down (thin by adding water to)

doctor; doctor up; sophisticate (alter and make impure, as with the intention to deceive)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something