degrade

dégrader, se dégrader

Perdre en qualité ou faire perdre de la qualité à quelque chose.

En anglais simple : To become worse in quality, or make something worse in quality.

• Sunlight degrades this material.
• The sample degraded during storage.
• Pollution can degrade the quality of drinking water.

Synonymes : deteriorate, damage

Contraires : improve

Expressions courantes : degrade over time, degrade the soil

avilir, humilier

Traiter quelqu’un comme s’il ne valait rien ou lui faire perdre le respect des autres.

En anglais simple : To treat someone as worthless or make them lose respect.

• Such insults degrade people.
• The prisoners were degraded by cruel treatment.
• She refused to degrade herself to please him.

Synonymes : humiliate, demean, debase

Contraires : dignify

Expressions courantes : degrade someone, degrade yourself

rabaisser, dégrader

Abaisser la position sociale de quelqu’un ou l’importance que les autres lui accordent.

En anglais simple : To reduce someone’s social position or the value others give them.

• His behavior degraded his social standing.
• The ruling degraded them to a lower class.
• She felt degraded by her loss of status.

Synonymes : demote, lower, debase

Contraires : elevate

Expressions courantes : degrade someone, degrade yourself