degraded
adj.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.
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.
degrade + -ed. See degrade and compare French degré (“step”).
Often follows a linking verb like 'become' or 'remain'; frequently modified by adverbs of degree like 'severely' or 'highly'.