degrade
/dɪˈgreɪd/verb
1
- with obj. treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect侮辱; 轻视：
she thought that many supposedly erotic pictures degraded women.
她觉得许多据说是色情的画侮辱了女性。
1.1
- lower the character or quality of降低…的品质（或质量）, 损害：
vast areas of natural habitats have been degraded.
大面积的自然栖息地已遭到破坏。
1.2
- archaic reduce (someone) to a lower rank, especially as a punishment〈古〉（尤指作为惩罚）把（某人）降级（或贬职）：
he was degraded from his high estate.
他被从高位上贬级。
2
- break down or deteriorate chemically降解：
no obj. when exposed to light the materials will degrade暴露在阳光下时这些物质会降解
with obj. the bacteria will degrade hydrocarbons.细菌会降解碳氢化合物。
2.1
- with obj. Physics reduce (energy) to a less readily convertible form【物理】使（能量）衰变。
2.2
- with obj. Geology wear down (rock) and cause it to disintegrate【地质】使（岩石）陵削（或减削）。
派生词
degradability
noundegradable
adjectivedegradative
adjectivedegrader
noun词源
late Middle English: from Old French degrader, from ecclesiastical Latin degradare, from de- 'down， away from'+Latin gradus 'step or grade'.