degrade
Meaning: To lower in quality, value, or condition, or to treat someone in a way that causes them to lose dignity and the respect of others. In science, to break down chemically or biologically.
Degrade spans three domains. In environmental and material science, it describes physical or chemical breakdown — 'plastics that do not degrade in landfill.' In social contexts, it means to humiliate or demean — 'degrading treatment.' In technology, performance degrades when a system deteriorates. The human sense is the most emotionally charged, appearing frequently in discussions of human rights, workplace dignity, and prison conditions. The adjective 'degrading' is common in legal language, especially Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Examples
- Intensive farming practices have severely degraded the quality of the soil across much of eastern England. 集约化农业已严重退化了英格兰东部大部分地区的土壤质量。Las prácticas de agricultura intensiva han degradado gravemente la calidad del suelo en gran parte del este de Inglaterra.集約農業によりイングランド東部の大部分で土壌の質が深刻に劣化している。집약적 농업 관행으로 인해 잉글랜드 동부 대부분의 토양 품질이 심각하게 저하되었다.
- The tribunal found that the employee had been subjected to degrading treatment by her line manager. 裁判庭认定该员工遭受了其直属上司的侮辱性对待。El tribunal determinó que la empleada había sido sometida a un trato degradante por parte de su jefe directo.審判所は、その従業員が直属の上司から品位を傷つける扱いを受けていたと認定した。심판원은 해당 직원이 직속 상사로부터 품위를 손상시키는 대우를 받았다고 인정했다.
- The signal quality degrades significantly in areas with poor network coverage. 在网络覆盖不佳的地区,信号质量显著下降。La calidad de la señal se degrada considerablemente en zonas con mala cobertura de red.ネットワークカバレッジの悪い地域では信号品質が著しく低下する。네트워크 커버리지가 불량한 지역에서는 신호 품질이 현저하게 저하된다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, journalism, professional
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Old French degrader, from late Latin degradare (to reduce in rank), from de- (down) + gradus (step, rank). Entered English in the 14th century; the scientific sense developed in the 19th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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