abastardize
v. C2 Proficiency abas·tardize
v. to treat someone or something very badly, often by being cruel or unfair. It is an old-fashioned way to say someone is being treated like a low-class person.
v. to treat someone or something in a cruel, unfair, or contemptuous manner.
The king was accused of abastardizing his subjects.
The historical novel describes how the noble family sought to abastardize the local peasants to maintain their power.
Scholars argue that the author's harsh treatment of the protagonist serves to abastardize the character, stripping him of any sympathy the reader might otherwise feel.
From Middle French abastardir, from Old French a- + bastart (“bastard”).