debase
to lower in quality, value, or dignity
Word origin: From de- (down) plus base, low, via Old French bas.
Debase in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing debase in a sentence.
Flooding the market with cheap imitations debased the brand's reputation.
Flooding the market with counterfeit coins only served to debase the currency's value.
Using “debase” well
Debase means to lower in quality, worth, or dignity and pairs with degrade and cheapen. It can apply to morals, coinage, or reputation, always implying a fall from a higher state.
More GRE words starting with D
to engage in something superficially or as a casual pastime
a raised platform for speakers or honored guests
to waste time or act without urgency
to make something slightly wet, or to make a feeling or reaction less strong
marked with spots or patches of color or light
to intimidate or discourage with fear or doubt
to move slowly or waste time idly
a scarcity or shortage of something
Questions about “debase”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.