Nearby Words
| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | blight, corrupt |
| Synonyms: | animalize, bestialize, consume, corrode, debase, debauch, demoralize, deprave, embitter, envenom, inflict, pervert, poison, pollute, rot, ruin, scourge, sore, stain, ulcer, vitiate |
| Main Entry: | corrupt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pervert; pollute |
| Synonyms: | abase, abuse, adulterate, animalize, bastardize, blemish, blight, bribe, contaminate, damage, debase, debauch, decay, decompose, deface, defile, deform, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, despoil, disfigure, disgrace, dishonor, fix, grease palm, harm, hurt, ill-treat, impair, infect, injure, lower, lure, maltreat, mar, mistreat, misuse, outrage, pull down, putrefy, ravage, reduce, rot, ruin, spoil, square, stain, suborn, subvert, taint, undermine, violate, vitiate, warp, waste |
| Antonyms: | better, chasten, cleanse, dignify, improve, purify |
| Main Entry: | cripple |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hinder action, progress |
| Synonyms: | bring to standstill, cramp, damage, destroy, halt, hamstring, impair, put out of action, ruin, spoil, stifle, vitiate |
| Antonyms: | aid, allow, assist, capacitate, encourage, help |
| Main Entry: | damage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause injury, loss |
| Synonyms: | abuse, bang up, batter, bleach, blight, break, burn, contaminate, corrode, corrupt, crack, cripple, deface, defile, dirty, discolor, disfigure, disintegrate, dismantle, fade, gnaw, harm, hurt, impair, incapacitate, infect, injure, lacerate, maim, maltreat, mangle, mar, mutilate, pollute, ravage, rot, ruin, rust, scathe, scorch, scratch, smash, split, spoil, stab, stain, tamper with, tarnish, tear, undermine, vitiate, weaken, wear away, wound, wreak havoc on, wreck, wrong |
| Antonyms: | benefit, bless, enhance, favor, fix, improve, mend, perfect, repair |
| Main Entry: | debase |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adulterate |
| Synonyms: | abase, animalize, bastardize, bestialize, contaminate, corrupt, damage, defile, depreciate, doctor, dope up, impair, load, pervert, pollute, sophisticate, spoil, taint, vitiate, weight, worsen |
| Antonyms: | clean, clear, enhance, improve, purify |
| Main Entry: | debauch |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deprave, corrupt |
| Synonyms: | abuse, bastardize, bestialize, betray, brutalize, debase, defile, deflower, demoralize, fornicate, fraternize, go bad, go to hell, intrigue, inveigle, lead astray, live in the gutter, lure, pervert, pollute, ravish, ruin, seduce, subvert, tempt, violate, vitiate, warp |
| Antonyms: | clean, cleanse, improve, purify, upgrade |
| Main Entry: | debauched |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | violated, corrupted |
| Synonyms: | abandoned, corrupt, debased, defiled, degenerate, degraded, depraved, deteriorated, dissipated, dissolute, fast, gone bad, gone to the dogs, immoral, in the gutter, licentious, perverted, profligate, reprobate, vitiate, vitiated, wanton, wicked |
| Antonyms: | clean, cleansed, improved, pure, purified, uncorrupt, unpolluted, virtuous |
| Main Entry: | defile |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | corrupt, violate |
| Synonyms: | abuse, adulterate, befoul, besmirch, contaminate, debase, deflower, degrade, desecrate, dirty, discolor, disgrace, dishonor, hurt, maculate, make foul, mess up*, molest, muck up, pollute, profane, rape, ravish, scuzz up, seduce, shame, smear, soil, stain, sully, taint, tar, tarnish, trash, vitiate |
| Antonyms: | clean, clease, hallow, honor, purify, sanctify |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | degenerate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decay, deteriorate |
| Synonyms: | backslide, come apart at seams, corrode, corrupt, decline, decrease, deprave, descend, die on vine, disimprove, disintegrate, fall off, go downhill, go to pieces, go to the dogs, lapse, lessen, regress, retrogress, return, revert, rot, sink, slip, vitiate, worsen |
| Notes: | to degenerate means 'to decline in value, move lower on a scale' but to deteriorate means 'to worsen, to become lowered, or be reduced in value'; degenerate pertains more to character and virtue while deteriorate is more about loss of strength or vitality |
| Antonyms: | develop, improve |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
