debase Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
    pervert; profane; misdirect; subvert; debauch; deprave; vitiate; corrupt; demoralise; demoralize.
    • debauch the young people with wine and women
    • Socrates was accused of corrupting young men
    • Do school counselors subvert young children?
    • corrupt the morals
  2. verb lower in value by increasing the base-metal content
    alloy.
  3. verb corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
    load; stretch; dilute; adulterate.
    • adulterate liquor

WordNet

De*base" transitive verb
Etymology
Pref. de- + base. See Base, a., and cf. Abase.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Debased ; present participle & verbal noun Debasing
Definitions
  1. To reduce from a higher to a lower state or grade of worth, dignity, purity, station, etc.; to degrade; to lower; to deteriorate; to abase; as, to debase the character by crime; to debase the mind by frivolity; to debase style by vulgar words.
    The coin which was adulterated and debased. Hale.
    It is a kind of taking God's name in vain to debase religion with such frivolous disputes. Hooker.
    And to debase the sons, exalts the sires. Pope.
    Syn. -- To abase; degrade. See Abase.

Webster 1913