debase

/dɪˈbeɪs/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈbeɪs/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈbās dē-/ (ame, mw)

debase — verb

  • debasepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • debaseshe / she / it
  • debasedpast simple
  • debasing-ing form

1. to make something seem cheaper, weaker, or less worthy, so people value it less

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to make something seem cheaper, weaker, or less worthy, so people value it less

例句

Cheap plastic parts debased Anna's watch and cut its price.

debase + object + and result clause

The joke debased Romi's school play and weakened its serious ending.

debase + art or performance

同義詞
  • cheapen

    stresses making something seem less valuable or respectable

  • diminish

    broader and often less judgmental

  • undermine

    focuses on weakening support or status over time

反義詞
  • improve

    focuses on making quality better

  • elevate

    stresses raising status, tone, or worth

文法句型

debase + object

debase + object + by + verb-ing

debase + object + and + result clause

用法筆記

Object is usually a product, institution, art form, or public standard rather than a person. For moral damage to a person, use sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌The cheap fabric debased after one wash.
✅The cheap fabric deteriorated after one wash.
💡debase usually means making something seem lower in quality or worth, not simply changing by itself over time.

2. to damage a person's character or dignity by pushing them toward shameful behavi

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to damage a person's character or dignity by pushing them toward shameful behavior

例句

The gang debased Min by paying him to trick old neighbors.

debase + person + by + verb-ing

Years of cruel jokes debased the boys and hardened them.

同義詞
  • corrupt

    focuses more directly on making someone's morals dishonest

  • degrade

    can stress lowering dignity or status, not only moral harm

  • demean

    often focuses on making someone seem less worthy in others' eyes

反義詞
  • ennoble

    means raising character or moral quality

  • uplift

    focuses on improving someone's spirit or behavior

文法句型

debase + person

debase + person + by + verb-ing

would debase + person

用法筆記

Often describes treatment, habits, or choices that lower moral character or human dignity. Distinguish from sense 1, which usually harms the quality or standing of a thing.

常見錯誤

❌I felt debased because I tripped on stage.
✅I felt humiliated because I tripped on stage.
💡debase is about moral or dignified decline, not a single embarrassing moment.

3. to make a coin or currency worth less, often by mixing in cheaper metal or creat

3.動詞及物C2
釋義

to make a coin or currency worth less, often by mixing in cheaper metal or creating too much of it

例句

To pay the army, the king debased the coin with cheap metal.

debase + coin + with + material

Kemi warned that endless printing would debase the currency within months.

debase + currency through over-printing

同義詞
  • devalue

    broader and common in modern economics for lowering a currency's value

  • dilute

    stresses mixing something valuable with cheaper material

  • weaken

    broader and can describe exchange value without the historical coin focus

反義詞
  • stabilize

    focuses on keeping the currency's value steady

  • strengthen

    means making a currency hold more value or trust

文法句型

debase + coin

debase + currency

debase + coin + with + material

用法筆記

Usually appears in history, economics, or political writing, with coin, currency, or money as the object. Distinguish from sense 1 because this sense is specifically about monetary value.

常見錯誤

❌Rain debased the dollar last week.
✅Heavy money printing debased the dollar last week.
💡this sense needs an action that lowers the value of money or coins.