downgrade
/ˌdaʊnˈɡreɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdaʊnˈɡreɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād/ (ame, mw)
downgrade — verb
- downgradepresent simple I / you / we / they
- downgradeshe / she / it
- downgradedpast simple
- downgrading-ing form
1. to officially move a person, product, service, or financial rating to a less imp
to officially move a person, product, service, or financial rating to a less important rank, position, or level, or to judge something as being worth less than before.
After a series of guest complaints, the hotel chain was downgraded from four stars to three.
passive: be downgraded from [X] to [Y]
The airline downgraded Wei's seat to economy and refunded the price difference.
active: downgrade + noun phrase + to [lower tier]
Following the failed trade talks, the analysts downgraded the country's credit rating.
文法句型
downgrade + noun phrase + from + noun phrase + to + noun phrase
be downgraded + from + noun phrase + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive construction when the agent (the person or body making the change) is not the focus of the sentence. Common in financial contexts with ratings (credit, bond, stock) and travel contexts (hotel star rating, airline seat class).
常見錯誤
downgrade — noun
- downgradesingular
- downgradesplural
1. an official move to a lower rank, position, value, or quality level; a judgment
an official move to a lower rank, position, value, or quality level; a judgment that someone or something is less important or valuable than previously thought.
The downgrade of the city's credit rating meant higher interest costs for new public projects.
collocation: downgrade of [a credit rating]
Hana was devastated by the job downgrade, even though the company was simply restructuring.
After the bond downgrade, many institutional investors sold their shares in the energy firm.
- demotion
used only for a person's job rank, not for products or ratings
- devaluation
focuses on monetary worth; stronger and more technical than 'downgrade'
- reduction
a more general word covering size, quantity, or degree; less formal
- upgrade
an official move to a higher rank, level, or standard
文法句型
a downgrade + of + noun phrase
downgrade + from + noun phrase + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in compound-noun form before another noun: 'downgrade decision', 'downgrade risk'. Credit and finance contexts are the most frequent domain for this sense.
常見錯誤
2. a downward slope on a road, railway, or path where the surface falls away toward
a downward slope on a road, railway, or path where the surface falls away toward a lower point.
The truck driver shifted to a lower gear before starting the steep downgrade.
collocation: steep downgrade
A warning sign at the top of the downgrade told drivers to check their brakes.
Kwabena's bicycle picked up speed rapidly as it rolled down the long downgrade.
- upgrade
a rising slope on a road — the direct geographical opposite
文法句型
a downgrade + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Much less common than the 'status reduction' senses. Often used in road-safety signage and driving manuals. The opposite is 'upgrade' (a rising slope).