Standard Lemma guide

deprave

verb · 3 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.

  • UK: /dɪˈpɹeɪv/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪv
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY0 P R EY1 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To speak ill of; to depreciate; to malign; to revile

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badmouth, diss, vilify, assassinate, asperse, backbite, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, defame, demonize, denigrate, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, libel, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, slander, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make bad or worse; to vitiate; to corrupt

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blight, upset, ruin, ball up, bumble, botch, bugger up, bungle, contaminate, corrupt, crab, deprave, disrupt, disturb, foil, fuck up, jack up, mar, mess up, mishandle, mommick, pollute, put a crimp in, queer, screw up, soil, sour, spoil, stain, undo, turn upside down, upset the applecart, vitiate

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

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, debauch, debase, profane, vitiate, 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

From Middle English depraven, from Old French depraver, from Latin dēprāvāre (“pervert, distort, corrupt”), from de- + pravus (“crooked, distorted, perverse, wicked”).

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: kwaad spreken — To speak ill of
  • Dutch: bekladden — To speak ill of
  • Italian: depravare — To speak ill of
  • Bulgarian: развалям (razvaljam) — To make bad or worse
  • Bulgarian: влошавам (vlošavam) — To make bad or worse
  • Czech: kazit — To make bad or worse
  • Czech: zkazit — To make bad or worse
  • Czech: narušit — To make bad or worse
  • Czech: pokazit mravně — To make bad or worse
  • Dutch: slecht maken — To make bad or worse
  • Dutch: doen verloederen — To make bad or worse
  • Dutch: doen ontaarden — To make bad or worse
  • German: verderben — To make bad or worse
  • Irish: truailligh — To make bad or worse
  • Māori: whakatautauhea — To make bad or worse
  • Ottoman Turkish: بوزمق (bozmak) — To make bad or worse