MEANING
1. To reduce someone's dignity, standing, or moral character.
2. To lower the quality or value of a material, especially a currency by reducing its precious-metal content.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- debase oneself
- debase a person
On the page
She would not debase herself by repeating the accusation.
The ceremony was designed to debase the prisoner before the watching crowd.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- debase
- Past tense
- debased
- Past participle
- debased
- Present participle
- debasing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- debase
- Present continuous
- am/is/are debasing
- Present perfect
- have/has debased
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been debasing
- Past
- debased
- Past continuous
- was/were debasing
- Past perfect
- had debased
- Past perfect continuous
- had been debasing
- Future
- will debase
- Future continuous
- will be debasing
- Future perfect
- will have debased
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been debasing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Forms: debase; debases; debased; debased; debasing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: debases.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.