debasev.
/dɪˈbeɪs/ΘΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > humiliation > humiliate [verb (transitive)]
anitherOE
fellOE
lowc1175
to lay lowc1225
to set adownc1275
snuba1340
meekc1350
depose1377
aneantizea1382
to bring lowa1387
declinea1400
meekenc1400
to pull downc1425
avalec1430
to-gradea1440
to put downc1440
humble1484
alow1494
deject?1521
depress1526
plucka1529
to cut (rarely to cast down) the comb of?1533
to bring down1535
to bring basec1540
adbass1548
diminish1560
afflict1561
to take down1562
to throw down1567
debase1569
embase1571
diminute1575
to put (also thrust) a person's nose out of jointc1576
exinanite1577
to take (a person) a peg lower1589
to take (a person) down a peg (or two)1589
disbasea1592
to take (a person) down a buttonhole (or two)1592
comb-cut1593
unpuff1598
atterr1605
dismount1608
annihilate1610
crest-fall1611
demit1611
pulla1616
avilea1617
to put a scorn on, upon1633
mortify1639
dimit1658
to put a person's pipe out1720
to let down1747
to set down1753
humiliate1757
to draw (a person's) eyeteeth1789
start1821
squabash1822
to wipe a person's eye1823
to crop the feathers of1827
embarrass1839
to knock (also take, etc.) (a person) off his or her perch1864
to sit upon ——1864
squelch1864
to cut out of all feather1865
to sit on ——1868
to turn down1870
to score off1882
to do (a person) in the eye1891
puncture1908
to put (a person) in (also into) his, her place1908
to cut down to size1927
flatten1932
to slap (a person) down1938
punk1963
the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > worse > [verb (transitive)] > in quality or character
defade1423
debase1569
deteriorate1572
welk1579
bastardize1587
invile1599
winter1622
disimprove1642
degenerate1645
deterior1646
imbastardize1649
degrade1652
honeycomb1821
travesty1825
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 69 The king hath debased himselfe ynough to the Bishop.
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 75 Debasyng himselfe with great humilitie and submission before the sayde two Cardinalles.
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II iii. iii. 188 Faire coosen, you debase your princely knee, To make the base earth proud with kissing it. View more context for this quotation
1610 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God iii. xvi. 128 Brutus debased Collatine, and banished him the Citty.
1648 Bp. J. Wilkins Math. Magick i. i. 4 The ancient Philosophers..refusing to debase the principles of that noble profession unto Mechanical experiments.
1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 999 God sent her to debase me. View more context for this quotation
1751 S. Johnson Rambler No. 187. ⁋4 A man [in Greenland] will not debase himself by work, which requires neither skill nor courage.
1827 R. Pollok Course of Time I. v. 243 Debased in sackcloth, and forlorn in tears.
ΘΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > damage to reputation > disparagement or depreciation > disparage or depreciate [verb (transitive)]
littleeOE
low1340
dispraisec1386
minish1402
deroge1427
detractc1449
descryc1450
detrayc1475
dismerit1484
decline1509
vilipend1509
disprize?1518
disable1528
derogatea1530
elevate1541
disparagea1556
detrect1563
debase1565
demerit1576
vilify1586
disgrace1589
detracta1592
besparage1592
enervate1593
obtrect1595
extenuate1601
disvalue1605
disparagon1610
undervalue1611
avile1615
debaucha1616
to cry down1616
debate1622
decry1641
atomize1645
underrate1646
naucify1653
dedignify1654
stuprate1655
de-ample1657
dismagn1657
slur1660
voguec1661
depreciate1666
to run down1671
baffle1674
lacken1674
sneer1706
diminish1712
substract1728
down1780
belittle1789
carbonify1792
to speak scorn of1861
to give one a back-cap1903
minoritize1947
mauvais langue1952
rubbish1953
down-talk1959
marginalize1970
marginate1970
trash1975
neg1987
1565 T. Stapleton Fortresse of Faith f. 62 The Manichee..would so extol grace, and debace the nature of man.
1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. ix. xxxvii. 341 Praising highly..the Samnites warres, debasing the Tuscanes.
1704 J. Blair in W. S. Perry Hist. Coll. Amer. Colonial Church: Virginia (1870) I. 98 I have heard him often debase and vilify the Gentlemen of the Council, using to them the opprob[r]ious names of Rogue, Rascal [etc.].
1746 J. Hervey Medit. among Tombs 12 Why should we exalt ourselves, or debase others?
3.
a. To lower in quality, value, or character; to make base, degrade; to adulterate.
ΘΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > condition or state of being mixed or blended > mix or blend [verb (transitive)] > add as ingredient to a mixture > qualify by admixture > adulterate
adulterc1384
feigna1398
sophisticatec1400
infect?1440
counterfeit1495
adulterate?1526
dash1548
falsify1562
elay1573
abuse1574
base1581
corrupt1581
debase1591
adulterize1593
compass1594
sophisticate1604
allay1634
huckster1642
hucksterize1646
cauponize1652
alloy1661
balderdash1674
impurify1693
doctor1726
vitiate1728
sand1851
dope1898
1591 E. Spenser Teares of Muses in Complaints sig. G3 Ignorance..That mindes of men borne heauenlie doth debace.
1606 State Trials, Great Case of Impositions (R.) That these staple commodities might not be debased.
1751 S. Johnson Rambler No. 168. ⁋4 Words which convey ideas of dignity..are in time debased.
1789 Trans. Soc. Arts (ed. 2) 1 16 Much of the Zaffre brought to England is mixed with matters that debase its quality.
b. spec. To lower the value of (coin) by the mixture of alloy or otherwise; to depreciate.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > value of money > [verb (transitive)] > reduce value
lowa1513
embase1551
falsify1562
deprave1581
delay1586
debase1602
descry1602
decry1617
depreciate1656
discredit1721
devalue1918
devalorize1925
1602 W. Fulbecke Parallele or Conf. Law i. 54 Or els it may be changed in the value, as if a Floren, which was worth 4 li to be debased to 3 li.
1879 J. A. Froude Cæsar xiii. 177 Laws against debasing the coin.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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