de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-rət 
-ˈje-nə-,
dē-
1
a
: having declined or become less specialized (as in nature, character, structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state
the last degenerate member of a noble family—
W. E. Swinton
W. E. Swinton
b
: having sunk to a condition below that which is normal to a type
… fruit so degenerate that the insects weren't even interested …—Tamar Perla
Tamar Perla
especially
: having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious state
a degenerate schemer
a despairing and degenerate world had sunk into servitude beneath him —W. L. Sullivan
W. L. Sullivan
c
: degraded sense 2
the functionally degenerate wings of the species
2
mathematics
: being simpler (as by having a factor or constant equal to zero) than the typical case
a degenerate hyperbola
3
physics and astronomy
: characterized by atoms stripped of their electrons and by very great density
degenerate matter
also
: consisting of degenerate matter
a degenerate star
4
physics and chemistry
: having two or more states or subdivisions especially of the same energy or frequency
degenerate energy level
degenerate oscillation
5
degenerately
adverb
degenerateness
noun
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈje-nə-ˌrāt
dē-
degenerated; degenerating; degenerates
1
: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition : deteriorate
her fixed mysterious smile degenerated into a fatuous stare—J. C. Powys
J. C. Powys2
: to sink into a low intellectual or moral state
The debate degenerated into a shouting match.
At the same time, discotheques degenerated into seedier venues … —shifty, often Mob-run last-martini stops for business commuters …—Peter Braunstein
Peter Braunstein3
: to decline in quality
the poetry gradually degenerates into jingles
… the sitcom has degenerated into a sparring ring of personal insult—James Wolcott
James Wolcott4
biology
: to decline from a condition or from the standards of a species, race, or breed
5
biology
: to evolve or develop into a less autonomous (see autonomous sense 2a) or less functionally active form
degenerated into dependent parasites
: to cause to degenerate
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-rət
-ˈje-nə-,
dē-
: one that is degenerate (see degenerate entry 1) : such as
a
: one degraded from the normal moral standard
social degenerates
b
: a sexual pervert
c
anthropology
: one showing signs of reversion (see reversion sense 3a) to an earlier culture stage
Synonyms
Adjective
Verb
Noun
Examples of degenerate in a Sentence
Adjective
He criticizes what he believes is a degenerate society.
a degenerate society in which people had no sense of being citizens, only consumers
Verb
over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers
Noun
a couple of degenerates on a crime spree
a degenerate who is uninterested in anything but his own gratification
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
Or have his years in finance scrambled his brain and turned him into a degenerate gambler, both at the office and outside it?
—Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
Fatemeh Fannizadeh, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Another protest at a nearby plant degenerated—with bonfires and looting—and the next day, security forces quashed it by shooting into the crowd, killing five people.
—Stéphanie Giry, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2015
Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024
There’s the medieval brutality: Gómez was a homicidal degenerate who collected torture methods instead of stamps.
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for degenerate 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
Ammon did appear tempted to talk the walk in Portland, to become the Mormon cowboy philosopher king wandering a degenerate realm of an ailing Republic, but by now time was in extremely short supply.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
Or have his years in finance scrambled his brain and turned him into a degenerate gambler, both at the office and outside it?
—Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
Degen is short for degenerate gambler and refers to people engaging in highly speculative trading.
—Fatemeh Fannizadeh, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Another protest at a nearby plant degenerated—with bonfires and looting—and the next day, security forces quashed it by shooting into the crowd, killing five people.
—Stéphanie Giry, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2015
Noun
On The Challenge: Battle of the Eras, these now-geriatric degenerates will duke it out for the only prize worth fighting for: making their kids proud.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024
There’s the medieval brutality: Gómez was a homicidal degenerate who collected torture methods instead of stamps.
—Tim Padgett, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for degenerate
Dictionary Entries Near degenerate
Cite this Entry
“Degenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/degenerate. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
degenerate
1 of 3 adjective
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
degenerately
adverb
degenerate
2 of 3 verb
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt
1
: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition : deteriorate
the meeting degenerated into noisy chatter
2
: to undergo evolution toward an earlier or less highly organized biological form
degenerate
3 of 3 noun
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
: a degenerate person
Medical Definition
degenerate
1 of 3 adjective
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
1
a
: having declined (as in nature, character, structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state
especially
: having deteriorated progressively (as in the process of evolution) especially through loss of structure and function
b
: having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious state
2
: having more than one codon representing an amino acid
also
: being such a codon
degenerate
2 of 3 intransitive verb
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt
degenerated; degenerating
1
: to sink into a low intellectual or moral state
2
: to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition: as
a
: to gradually deteriorate so that normal function or structure is impaired or lost
the retina degenerated
b
: to decline from the standards of a species, race, or breed
3
: to evolve or develop into a less autonomous or less functionally active form
degenerated into dependent parasites
degenerate
3 of 3 noun
de·gen·er·ate
di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
: one that is degenerate: as
a
: one degraded from the normal moral standard
b
: a sexual pervert
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