# degenerate

/dɪˈdʒɛnɝˌeɪt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/degenerate
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. morally declined

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

having very low standards of behavior or morals.

For teachers: having lost desirable or moral qualities; characterized by corruption or lack of ethical standards.

- The old ruler was a degenerate man who cared only for his own wealth.
- Critics argued that the film's focus on senseless violence was a sign of a degenerate culture obsessed with shock value.

### 2. simpler than typical

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

describing a version of something that is much simpler or less developed than usual.

For teachers: qualitatively simpler than typical objects of its class; in geometry, a limiting case such as a point being a degenerate circle.

- A single point can be seen as a degenerate circle with a radius of zero.
- The mathematician explained that the line segment was actually a degenerate case of a triangle where the height had collapsed to zero.

### 3. same energy level

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

having the same amount of energy.

For teachers: relating to different quantum states that share the same energy level.

- The electrons occupied degenerate orbitals within the same atom.
- In the absence of an external magnetic field, the three p-orbitals remain degenerate, possessing identical energy levels.

### 4. to get worse

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to become worse in quality or to break down.

For teachers: to decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally; to sink into a lower or less perfect state.

- The peaceful protest began to degenerate into a violent riot as night fell.
- Without proper maintenance, the historic building will quickly degenerate into a pile of rubble and rusted metal.

Usage: The verb is intransitive and is frequently followed by the preposition 'into'.

### 5. an immoral person

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a person who has very low morals or bad habits.

For teachers: a person whose behavior or character has declined to an undesirable or immoral level.

- He was dismissed by his peers as a degenerate who spent all his time gambling.
- The social reformer argued that the prison system was creating more degenerates rather than rehabilitating the inmates.

## Examples

- The once-grand hotel had become a degenerate place for crime.
- Critics argued that the reality show was a degenerate form of entertainment that lowered the standards of public discourse.
- In certain mathematical proofs, a degenerate case occurs when a shape or function simplifies into a much more basic form, such as a circle becoming a single point.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.