as in perverts
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
a degenerate who is uninterested in anything but his own gratification
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degenerates
Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
In all vertebrates, the thymus degenerates very rapidly with age.
—Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
Ike Barinholtz may play degenerates well, but, off screen, the writer, comedian and star is something of a trivia savant.
—Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 3 Mar. 2026
What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting?
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
Once Gacy is caught, the media runs with the details — all those bodies crammed in that crawlspace, some of them buried in trenches Gacy made his employees dig out — and paints his victims as runaways or degenerates who put themselves in danger.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
The product exploded, generating trillions and minting a new class of crypto degenerates who were willing to take massive risks that, occasionally, resulted in millions.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
In all vertebrates, the thymus degenerates very rapidly with age.
—Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
Ike Barinholtz may play degenerates well, but, off screen, the writer, comedian and star is something of a trivia savant.
—Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 3 Mar. 2026
What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting?
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
Once Gacy is caught, the media runs with the details — all those bodies crammed in that crawlspace, some of them buried in trenches Gacy made his employees dig out — and paints his victims as runaways or degenerates who put themselves in danger.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Volume 1 about a troubled pregnant woman who accepts an invite to a dinner party which degenerates into a bloody and demented nightmare.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerates
Noun
-
Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
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Also, what many now interpret as Kubrick’s exposé of elite perverts was, in fact, mostly Schnitzler’s doing.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sloan allows that the next big test for local sports arrives as the 2026 FIFA World Cup descends upon North American for a 39-day residency.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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In the legend, Orpheus descends into the underworld in an attempt to rescue his lover, Eurydice.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
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Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The incompetence at every level worsens and only two incompetents have been removed.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Charlotte Water has asked customers to cut usage by about 3% to 5% to help protect the region’s supply and avoid stricter measures if the drought worsens.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Bears are looking for tax breaks and incentives, but all that will do the Bears no good if part of their fan support declines.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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The lottery will also assign waitlist positions to the remaining students in tier 2 and below if a student declines the funding.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degenerates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerates. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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