DEGENERATE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does degenerate mean? 

• DEGENERATE (noun)
  The noun DEGENERATE has 1 sense:

1. a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior

  Familiarity information: DEGENERATE used as a noun is very rare.

• DEGENERATE (adjective)
  The adjective DEGENERATE has 1 sense:

1. unrestrained by convention or morality

  Familiarity information: DEGENERATE used as an adjective is very rare.

• DEGENERATE (verb)
  The verb DEGENERATE has 1 sense:

1. grow worse

  Familiarity information: DEGENERATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEGENERATE (noun)

Meaning:

A person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

degenerate; deviant; deviate; pervert

Hypernyms ("degenerate" is a kind of...):

miscreant; reprobate (a person without moral scruples)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "degenerate"):

fetishist (one who engages in fetishism (especially of a sexual nature))

bugger; sod; sodomist; sodomite (someone who engages in anal copulation (especially a male who engages in anal copulation with another male))

lech; lecher; letch; satyr (man with strong sexual desires)

sadomasochist (someone who enjoys both sadism and masochism)

sadist (someone who obtains pleasure from inflicting pain or others)

paedophile; pedophile (an adult who is sexually attracted to children)

child molester; paederast; pederast (a man who has sex (usually sodomy) with a boy as the passive partner)

nympho; nymphomaniac (a woman with abnormal sexual desires)

masochist (someone who obtains pleasure from receiving punishment)

• DEGENERATE (adjective)

Meaning:

Unrestrained by convention or morality

Synonyms:

libertine; dissolute; dissipated; degraded; degenerate; debauched; profligate; riotous; fast

Context examples:

Congreve draws a debauched aristocratic society / deplorably dissipated and degraded / riotous living / fast women

Similar:

immoral (deliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrong)

• DEGENERATE (verb)

Meaning:

Grow worse

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

degenerate; deteriorate; devolve; drop

Context examples:

Her condition deteriorated / Conditions in the slums degenerated / The discussion devolved into a shouting match

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

decline; worsen (grow worse)

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

fatigue; jade; pall; tire; weary (get tired of something or somebody)

fade; languish (become feeble)

rot; waste (waste away)

Sentence frames:

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