corrupt

B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing Technical

adj. containing errors or being broken so that it cannot be used by a computer.

adj. containing errors or having been altered in a way that renders data or files unreadable or invalid.

“I couldn't open the document because the file was corrupt.”

“The system crash resulted in several corrupt database entries that required manual restoration from the previous night's backup.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to encourage someone to start behaving in a bad or dishonest way.

v. to cause someone to become morally depraved or to lead them away from accepted standards of behavior.

“Some people worried that the violent films would corrupt the minds of young children.”

“The prosecutor argued that the older man had used his influence to corrupt the youth and involve him in the criminal enterprise.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing Technical

v. to cause a computer file or piece of information to have errors.

v. to introduce errors into a computer file or data stream, often resulting in a loss of functionality.

“A sudden power cut can corrupt the data on your hard drive.”

“The virus was designed to corrupt the boot sector of the drive, making the entire operating system impossible to load.”

C2 · Proficiency Science Archaic · Technical

v. to decay or become rotten.

v. to become putrid, tainted, or impure through the process of decomposition.

“The ancient scrolls had begun to corrupt after years of exposure to the damp air.”

“In the absence of proper preservation, the organic matter will eventually corrupt and return to the soil.”