Depraved — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /di-ˈprāvd/ de·praved

Meaning & Definition of Depraved

Depraved (adjective)

  1. marked by corruption or evil; especially, having or showing an evil and immoral character

Depraved (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing lowered moral character or standards

    "the depraved actions of a gang of madmen who had gained control of an entire nation"

    similar: corrupt, debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, dissipated, dissolute, jackleg, libertine, loose, perverse, perverted, rakehell, rakish, reprobate, sick, unclean, unwholesome, warped
    related: bent (chiefly British), crooked, cutthroat, dishonest, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, bad, evil, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, nefarious, sinful, vicious, wicked
    opposite: pure, uncorrupt, uncorrupted
    near: incorruptible, ethical, honest, principled, good, moral, righteous, virtuous

Depraved (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to lower in character, dignity, or quality

    "the belief that pornography depraves society as a whole"

    similar: abased, bastardized, cankered, cheapened, corrupted, debased, debauched, degraded, demeaned, demoralized, deteriorated, lessened, perverted, poisoned, profaned, prostituted, subverted, vitiated, warped
    related: befouled, begrimed, contaminated, defiled, diluted, dirtied, polluted, tainted, thinned, watered down, weakened, descended, disgraced, dishonored, humbled, humiliated, shamed, took down, blemished, damaged, defaced, destroyed, flawed, harmed, hurt, impaired, marred, ruined, spoiled, stained, tarnished, wrecked, depreciated, downgraded
    opposite: elevated, ennobled, uplifted
    near: dignified, exalted, honored, ameliorated, amended, bettered, enhanced, enriched, improved, meliorated, perfected, clarified, cleaned, cleansed, purified, refined, restored, respected

Related Entry: Deprave (verb)

Deprave is a different word from Depraved. The synonyms below are for deprave, not for depraved.

  1. to lower in character, dignity, or quality

    "the belief that pornography depraves society as a whole"

    similar: abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debase, debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, poison, profane, prostitute, subvert, vitiate, warp
    related: befoul, begrime, contaminate, defile, dilute, dirty, pollute, taint, thin, water down, weaken, descend, disgrace, dishonor, humble, humiliate, shame, take down, blemish, damage, deface, destroy, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, mar, ruin, spoil, stain, tarnish, wreck, depreciate, downgrade
    opposite: elevate, ennoble, uplift
    near: dignify, exalt, honor, ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, clarify, clean, cleanse, purify, refine, restore, respect

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Depraved

The most common words with a similar meaning to Depraved:

corrupt, debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, dissipated, dissolute, jackleg, libertine, loose, perverse, perverted, rakehell, rakish, reprobate, sick, unclean, unwholesome, warped, abased, bastardized, cankered, cheapened, corrupted, demeaned, deteriorated, lessened, poisoned, profaned, prostituted, subverted, vitiated

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Depraved

Words with the opposite meaning of Depraved:

pure, uncorrupt, uncorrupted, elevated, ennobled, uplifted

Related Words for Depraved

bent, crooked, cutthroat, dishonest, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, bad, evil, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, nefarious, sinful, vicious, wicked, befouled, begrimed, defiled, diluted, dirtied, polluted, thinned, watered down, weakened, descended, disgraced

Near Antonyms of Depraved

incorruptible, ethical, honest, principled, good, moral, righteous, virtuous, dignified, exalted, honored, ameliorated, amended, bettered, enhanced, enriched, improved, meliorated, perfected, clarified, cleaned, cleansed, purified, refined, restored, respected

Word Forms of Depraved

Derived words: depravedly (adverb), depravedness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Depraved

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Depraved

What does "Depraved" mean?

"Depraved" means marked by corruption or evil; especially, having or showing an evil and immoral character. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: marked by corruption or evil; especially, having or showing an evil and immoral character. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Depraved"?

Other words for "Depraved" include corrupt, debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized and dissipated. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Depraved" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Depraved"?

There are 84 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Depraved". Common alternatives include corrupt, debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, dissipated, dissolute and jackleg.

What is the opposite of "Depraved"?

Antonyms of "Depraved" include pure, uncorrupt, uncorrupted, elevated, ennobled and uplifted. Near antonyms include incorruptible, ethical, honest and principled.

How do you use "Depraved" in a sentence?

Examples of "Depraved" in a sentence: "the depraved actions of a gang of madmen who had gained control of an entire nation"; "the belief that pornography depraves society as a whole".

Is "Depraved" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Depraved" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Depraved"?

"Depraved" is pronounced /di-ˈprāvd/ and divided into syllables as de·praved.

What is the origin of the word "Depraved"?

First known use: 14th century.