degenerate — to decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally
Pronunciation (IPA): /dɪˈdʒenərət/
Example Sentences
- My weekend plans degenerated from 'productive studying' to 'Netflix and instant noodles marathon.'
- The peaceful protest degenerated into violence when agitators arrived.
- His posture degenerated so much from gaming that he looked like a human question mark.
degenerate
VERB[/dɪˈdʒenərət/]
to decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally
The abandoned mansion began to degenerate into a crumbling shell over the decades.
DE(down) + GENER(family) + ATE(make) — choosing to fall DE(down) from his noble GENER(family), the prince allowed himself to degenerate into a greedy gambler.
At an alarming rate, the broken factory failed to generate clean water and watched the river rapidly degenerate.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'degenerare', formed from 'de-' (away from) and 'generare' (to beget, produce), meaning 'to fall away from one's kind or ancestors'. The word originally referred to offspring not living up to the standards of their ancestors.
Breakdown
de- (away from, down) + gener (kind, race, birth) + -ate (verb suffix) = degenerate
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My weekend plans degenerated from 'productive studying' to 'Netflix and instant noodles marathon.'”
“The peaceful protest degenerated into violence when agitators arrived.”
“His posture degenerated so much from gaming that he looked like a human question mark.”
“The once-great civilization had degenerated into warring tribes.”
📚Related Words
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