Word: debase (verb)

Associations

"Debase" means to lower the value, quality, or dignity of something or someone. It often refers to making something worse or less respected.

• The company’s reputation was debased after the scandal. Here, "debased" means the reputation became worse.
• Don’t debase yourself by lying to others. This means lowering your dignity or self-respect.
• The government was accused of debasing the currency. This means lowering the value of money. A well-known synonym is "degrade," but "debase" often focuses more on lowering value or worth, while "degrade" can also mean to worsen condition or status, sometimes physically or morally.

Substitution

You can replace "debase" with:

• degrade (makes something worse or lowers status)
• cheapen (makes something seem less valuable or good)
• demean (lowers dignity or respect) Each word changes the meaning slightly. For example, "degrade" is more general, "cheapen" is informal and suggests lowering value, and "demean" focuses on respect and dignity.

Deconstruction

"Debase" comes from the prefix "de-" meaning "down" or "away," and "base," which means "low" or "of low quality." So, "debase" literally means "to make something low or base." It started being used in English in the 15th century, often about coins losing value.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where someone’s behavior might debase their reputation?
• How does debasing something differ from simply damaging it?
• Have you ever seen a product or idea that was debased in value or quality? What happened?