Standard Lemma guide

debauch

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈbɔːt͡ʃ/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔːtʃ

1

noun

Meaning 1

An individual act of debauchery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An orgy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To morally corrupt (someone); to seduce.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: immoralize, lead astray, sophisticate, adulterate, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, detort, file, pervert, pollute, preposterate, seduce, suborn, subvert, tamper, unmoralize, vitiate, warp

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To debase (something); to lower the value of (something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abase, degrade, devalue, avile, debase, debauch, depreciate, devaluate, dirty, elevate, vitiate

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To indulge in revelry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: carouse, celebrate, party, revel

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: orgy, debauchery, saturnalia, riot, bacchanal, bacchanalia, drunken revelry

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: revel, revelry

7

verb

Meaning 7

corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • debauch the young people with wine and women
  • Socrates was accused of corrupting young men
  • Do school counselors subvert young children?
  • corrupt the morals

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: corrupt, pervert, subvert, demoralize, demoralise, debase, profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: sensualize, sensualise, carnalize, carnalise, infect, lead off, lead astray, poison, bastardize, bastardise, suborn

History

Etymology

1590s, from Middle French desbaucher (“entice from work or duty”), from Old French desbauchier (“to lead astray”), from des- + bauch (“beam”), from Frankish *balkō, from Proto-Germanic *balkô, from Proto-Indo-European *bhelǵ- (“beam, plank”); latter origin of balk. Evolution of sense unclear; may be literally “to shave/trim wood to make a beam” or may be “to leave/lure someone from a workshop”, Frankish *balkō perhaps also meaning “workshop”. Possible corruption by way of Anglicised French term bord (“edge, curb”): curb crawling as a synonym for prostitution. Parallels in modern German: Bordsteinschwalbe (“prostitute”, literally “Curb-stone-swallow”). English words bawd, bawdiness may be similarly connected.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: развра́т (razvrát) — act of debauchery
  • Chinese Mandarin: 放蕩 /放荡 (fàngdàng) — act of debauchery
  • Esperanto: diboĉi — act of debauchery
  • Finnish: turmeleminen — act of debauchery
  • French: débauche — act of debauchery
  • German: Ausschweifung — act of debauchery
  • German: Prasserei — act of debauchery
  • German: Prassen — act of debauchery
  • German: Schwelgerei — act of debauchery
  • German: Schwelgen — act of debauchery
  • Greek: ακολασία (akolasía) — act of debauchery
  • Macedonian: ра́зврат (rázvrat) — act of debauchery
  • Romanian: destrăbălare — act of debauchery
  • Russian: дебо́ш (debóš) — act of debauchery
  • Russian: развра́т (razvrát) — act of debauchery
  • Russian: разгу́л (razgúl) — act of debauchery
  • Scottish Gaelic: misg — act of debauchery
  • Spanish: corrupción — act of debauchery
  • Swedish: utsvävning — act of debauchery
  • Swedish: excess — act of debauchery
  • Swedish: orgie — act of debauchery
  • Bulgarian: покварявам (pokvarjavam) — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Bulgarian: развращавам (razvraštavam) — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使墮落 /使堕落 (shǐduòluò) — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Dutch: ontaarden — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Finnish: turmella — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • French: débaucher — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • German: verführen — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • German: verderben — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • German: korrumpieren — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Greek: διαφθείρω (diaftheíro) — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Māori: whakatautauhea — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Polish: zdeprawować — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Russian: развращать (razvraščatʹ) — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Swedish: fördärva — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Swedish: depravera — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Swedish: korrumpera — (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  • Bulgarian: развалям (razvaljam) — (transitive) to debase something
  • Bulgarian: изопачавам (izopačavam) — (transitive) to debase something
  • Dutch: ontwaarden — (transitive) to debase something
  • Finnish: turmella — (transitive) to debase something
  • German: verkommen lassen — (transitive) to debase something
  • German: abwerten — (transitive) to debase something
  • German: entwerten — (transitive) to debase something
  • German: verschlechtern — (transitive) to debase something
  • Greek: διαφθείρω (diaftheíro) — (transitive) to debase something
  • Greek: εκφυλίζω (ekfylízo) — (transitive) to debase something
  • Māori: whakatautauhea — (transitive) to debase something
  • Māori: whakatautauwhea — (transitive) to debase something
  • Russian: унижа́ть (unižátʹ) — (transitive) to debase something
  • Swedish: devalvera — (transitive) to debase something
  • German: schwelgen — to indulge in revelry
  • German: prassen — to indulge in revelry
  • German: verkommen — to indulge in revelry