Word
degraded
Phoneticsde·grad·ed
US/dɪˈɡɹeɪdəd/
UK/dɪɡɹˈeɪdɪd/
Definition
adj. describing something that has become lower in quality or weaker than it used to be. It is often used to talk about the environment or a person's status.
adj. reduced in quality, value, or strength; having lost its original integrity or status. Often used in environmental or social contexts to describe a state of decline.
Examples
“The soil in this area is degraded and cannot grow crops.”
“Decades of industrial waste have left the local river system severely degraded, making it unsafe for swimming or fishing.”
“The report highlights how degraded habitats lead to a loss of biodiversity, as species can no longer find the resources they need to survive in damaged ecosystems.”
Examples
simple
“The soil in this area is degraded and cannot grow crops.”
contextual
“Decades of industrial waste have left the local river system severely degraded, making it unsafe for swimming or fishing.”
complex
“The report highlights how degraded habitats lead to a loss of biodiversity, as species can no longer find the resources they need to survive in damaged ecosystems.”
Usage
Often follows a linking verb like 'become' or 'remain'; frequently modified by adverbs of degree like 'severely' or 'highly'.
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“UNESCO, the United Nations agency for international cooperation, including in conservation, estimates that about 60% of marine ecosystems are already degraded or used unsustainably.” “In the neighbouring Kyzylorda region, over 80 per cent of pastures are now degraded, and toxic dust storms carry salt for thousands of kilometres.” “Better understanding how mRNA-based drugs interact with the immune system and how they are degraded in human cells can help lead to safe, durable and effective treatments for a wide range of diseases.” “Conventional mRNA is rapidly degraded inside cells, often limiting protein production to a relatively short period.” Etymology
degrade + -ed. See degrade and compare French degré (“step”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/degraded