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to debase
01
to reduce the intrinsic value or quality of something, especially currency, by decreasing the amount of valuable material it contains
Grammatical Information
Composition
derived
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
debase
3rd person singular
debases
Present participle
debasing
Past simple
debased
Past participle
debased
Examples
In ancient times, rulers would debase coins by diluting the precious metal content to finance their expenditures.
02
corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
03
to tarnish someone's character or morals
Examples
The scandal debased the politician ’s once-respected reputation.
Lexical Tree
debaser
debasing
debase
base
