The word “degrade” means to lower in quality, status, or dignity. It can refer to the deterioration of objects, the lowering of someone’s moral or social status, or environmental decline. Understanding this word in various contexts will help improve your vocabulary and comprehension skills. Below, you will find example sentences at different difficulty levels to enhance your learning.
Basic Level Sentences for Degrade
1. Too much rain can degrade the quality of the soil. (Verb)
- Here, “degrade” means to reduce the quality of the soil due to excessive rain.
2. Plastic waste can degrade the environment. (Verb)
- This sentence explains how plastic waste harms nature.
3. Shouting at employees can degrade their confidence. (Verb)
- Shows how “degrade” means to lower someone’s confidence.
4. Over time, metal can degrade and rust. (Verb)
- Indicates that metal loses quality over time due to rusting.
5. Rude comments can degrade a person’s self-esteem. (Verb)
- Illustrates how words can harm a person’s confidence.
6. Poor maintenance will degrade the condition of the building. (Verb)
- Shows how lack of care worsens a building’s condition.
7. Using low-quality ingredients will degrade the taste of the food. (Verb)
- Explains how poor ingredients lower food quality.
8. Pollution degrades the purity of the air. (Verb)
- Shows how pollution reduces air quality.
9. Overuse of electronics can degrade battery life. (Verb)
- Demonstrates how excessive use reduces battery performance.
10. Frequent criticism can degrade a child’s motivation to learn. (Verb)
- Indicates that harsh words lower a child’s enthusiasm for learning.
Intermediate Level Sentences for Degrade
11. Harsh working conditions can degrade an employee’s productivity over time. (Verb)
- Illustrates how poor conditions reduce efficiency.
12. Exposure to strong sunlight can degrade the color of fabric. (Verb)
- Shows how sunlight fades fabric colors.
13. Deforestation significantly degrades soil fertility. (Verb)
- Explains how cutting trees harms soil quality.
14. Ignoring ethical standards will degrade a company’s reputation. (Verb)
- Shows how unethical behavior affects a company’s image.
15. Prolonged stress can degrade a person’s mental health. (Verb)
- Explains the impact of stress on mental well-being.
16. The overuse of pesticides degrades the natural balance of ecosystems. (Verb)
- Shows how pesticides disrupt the environment.
17. Constant exposure to lies can degrade trust in relationships. (Verb)
- Indicates how dishonesty harms relationships.
18. Electronic components degrade over time due to heat and moisture. (Verb)
- Describes how electronics wear out due to environmental factors.
19. The lack of cultural preservation efforts degrades historical heritage. (Verb)
- Explains how neglect affects cultural heritage.
20. Continuous negative media coverage can degrade public confidence in a leader. (Verb)
- Illustrates how bad publicity weakens trust.
Advanced Level Sentences for Degrade
21. The prolonged use of harsh chemicals has severely degraded the river’s biodiversity. (Verb)
- Shows how chemicals harm ecological diversity.
22. Overexploitation of natural resources continues to degrade the planet’s ability to sustain life. (Verb)
- Illustrates how excessive resource use harms the environment.
23. Years of political corruption have degraded the public’s trust in governmental institutions. (Verb)
- Explains how corruption weakens faith in governance.
24. Microplastics are a major concern as they degrade into toxic particles that pollute marine ecosystems. (Verb)
- Describes how plastic breaks down into harmful particles.
25. The moral fabric of a society degrades when ethical standards are repeatedly ignored. (Verb)
- Shows how ethical neglect weakens social values.
26. Rapid urbanization, without proper planning, degrades both the quality of life and the environment. (Verb)
- Explains how uncontrolled growth affects well-being.
27. Scientific studies confirm that prolonged exposure to UV rays degrades DNA, increasing the risk of cancer. (Verb)
- Demonstrates the impact of UV radiation on human health.
28. Neglecting cybersecurity protocols can degrade a company’s ability to protect sensitive data. (Verb)
- Shows how negligence affects data security.
29. Climate change continues to degrade ice caps, leading to rising sea levels. (Verb)
- Explains how climate change contributes to global warming.
30. Long-term exposure to propaganda can degrade an individual’s ability to think critically. (Verb)
- Illustrates the effect of misinformation on cognitive skills.
Expert Level Sentences for Degrade
31. The accelerated degradation of coral reefs, largely due to ocean acidification, threatens marine biodiversity. (Noun)
- Explains how environmental changes impact marine life.
32. Unchecked industrial expansion can degrade entire ecosystems, leading to irreversible ecological damage. (Verb)
- Shows the long-term consequences of industrialization.
33. Prolonged exposure to space radiation has been found to degrade astronauts’ cognitive functions. (Verb)
- Illustrates how space conditions impact human health.
34. Economic policies that favor short-term growth at the cost of sustainability inevitably degrade long-term prosperity. (Verb)
- Explains the trade-off between growth and sustainability.
35. Historians argue that social divisions and systemic inequality degrade a nation’s unity and long-term stability. (Verb)
- Shows how inequality affects national strength.
36. The gradual degradation of ancient manuscripts due to humidity poses a challenge for preservationists. (Noun)
- Describes how historical documents deteriorate over time.
37. In ethical philosophy, allowing injustice to persist unchecked is considered a factor that degrades moral responsibility. (Verb)
- Explores the concept of moral degradation in philosophy.
38. High-frequency trading algorithms, when unchecked, have the potential to degrade the stability of global financial markets. (Verb)
- Explains the risks of automated financial transactions.
39. Geopolitical conflicts, if not managed properly, can degrade international relations and lead to economic downturns. (Verb)
- Demonstrates how global conflicts weaken cooperation.
40. The intersection of artificial intelligence and ethics raises concerns about technologies that could degrade human autonomy. (Verb)
- Illustrates ethical concerns regarding technological advancements.
Mastering Degrade
Now that you have explored various sentence examples for ‘degrade,’ you can confidently use the word in different contexts, from everyday conversations to professional and academic discussions. Understanding the different nuances of ‘degrade’ will enhance your ability to describe deterioration, loss of quality, and ethical concerns. Keep practicing by incorporating ‘degrade’ into your writing and speech!
