English Reference
Adjective

downgraded

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈdaʊnˈɡɹeɪdəd/ UK /dˈaʊŋɡɹeɪdɪd/ down·grad·ed

adj.reduced to a lower level, rank, or value. You use this when something is now considered less important or lower quality than it was before.

adj.reduced to a lower status, rank, or level of importance. Often used predicatively after a linking verb or as a participial adjective modifying a noun.


SIMPLE

The storm was downgraded to a tropical breeze.

CONTEXTUAL

After the poor quarterly results, the bank's credit rating was downgraded by several major financial agencies.

COMPLEX

The once-prestigious hotel now offers a downgraded experience, with fewer amenities and a smaller staff than it maintained during its peak years in the late nineties.

Usage

Often follows 'was' or 'has been' in passive constructions; can also be used as a participial adjective before a noun.

Usage downgraded to a level

Their UK security was downgraded after they stopped being working royals in 2020 and moved to the US, where they have paid for their own protection.

BBC News· 21 Aug 2026

Around 190 people from the villages of Castromil and San Ciprián have now been told they can return home after the fire was downgraded to a level 1.

The Local· 9 Jul 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated