degenerate:

(plural: ‘degenerates‘)

a person who becomes worse and worse in his condition;

a person with serious sexual misbehaviour; a pervert;

a corrupt and harmful person,

(a cartoon showing a kind of degenerates)

e.g.

Charlie has been a degenerate for a month, gradually losing physical strength and hope, despite the fact that he’s been under high level medical treatment.

Nobody suspected that old George was a degenerate who molested several young girls in our neighbourhood.

Though she was once hailed as the best artist, now she is considered a degenerate who produced only unintelligent disproportionate drawings!

There are always some degenerates who try to twist the contents of holy scriptures and mislead the youth into believing that being degenerates means being broadminded!

Some philosophers think that the gays are this century’s degenerates!

For an item of news that shows us how we find this word in our daily readings, please click here, for an item of news that has this word in it, please click here, and for an article that shows us how this word is used in mathematics, please click here.

(an exhibit in a degenerate art exhibition)

A more common meaning, as a verb, is to gradually lose the original and efficient function or quality of something, e.g. smoking and drinking degenerate a person’s efficiency and skills. And ‘degenerate is also used in its adjective form to refer to people, things and issues that become less in efficiency and skill gradually, e.g. ‘There are heaps of degenerate matter on the chemical factory premises’; ‘We see reports of more and more degenerate cultures around the world.’

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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