degenerate

degenerate — verb

1. to steadily decline in quality, condition, or strength, often as part of a proce

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to steadily decline in quality, condition, or strength, often as part of a process that is hard to stop

Example

After Hari stopped attending rehearsals, the band's performance began to degenerate.

The discussion degenerated into a shouting match when Niran raised his voice.

degenerate + into + [worse state]

Common collocations
  • degenerate into chaos
  • degenerate into violence
  • degenerate into a fight
  • degenerate over time
  • slowly degenerate
Synonyms
  • deteriorate

    more common and neutral; used for physical things, relationships, or conditions

  • decline

    broader; can refer to quantity, quality, or health, not just moral or behavioural decline

  • decay

    suggests gradual rotting or breakdown, often with a stronger physical or organic sense

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

degenerate + into + noun phrase

degenerate + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

This verb is usually intransitive. It is very often followed by 'into' to describe what something turns into as it worsens: 'The argument degenerated into a fight.'

Common Mistakes

The food degenerated in the fridge.
The food went bad in the fridge.
'degenerate' is not used for physical decay of food; use 'go bad' or 'rot' instead.
The weather degenerated in the afternoon.
The weather turned worse in the afternoon.
'degenerate' is not used for short-term weather changes; use 'turn worse' or 'deteriorate'.

degenerate — adjective

degenerate — noun

Word family

  • degeneration
    nounB2
  • degenerative
    adjectiveC1
  • degeneracy
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe a serious lack of moral principles, but they differ in scope and strength. 'Corrupt' typically implies dishonesty and abuse of power for personal gain — a corrupt politician takes bribes. 'Immoral' is the broadest term; it covers any action or person that violates accepted ethical standards, from small lies to grave offences. 'Depraved' is the strongest of the three, suggesting moral corruption so extreme that a person seems to have lost all sense of right and wrong. 'Degenerate' sits between 'immoral' and 'depraved': it describes someone who has fallen from a previously acceptable state, like a respected citizen now living a life of vice. For example: a corrupt official steals from public funds; an immoral person cheats on a partner; a depraved individual commits horrific crimes; while a degenerate shows a slow slide into moral decay.

corrupt ↗immoraldepraved

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • degenerate into chaos
  • degenerate into violence

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'degenerare', meaning 'to depart from one's family or kind'. It combines 'de-' (down, away from) and 'genus' (race, kind, family). The original idea was of someone who fell below the standards of their family line. English took the word through French in the 15th century, and it gradually broadened to mean any decline in quality or moral character.