degrade
verb uk/dɪˈɡreɪd/ us/dɪˈɡreɪd/
(LOSE RESPECT)
[ T ]贬低;降低…的身份;侮辱…的人格
to cause people to feel that they or other people have no value and do not have the respect or good opinion of others
Pornography degrades women. 色情作品是对女性的侮辱。
(SPOIL)
[ T ]玷污；损害，危害
to spoil or destroy the beauty or quality of something
Every day the environment is further degraded by toxic wastes. 环境日益受到有毒废物的危害。
[ I or T ] electronics specialized（使）（无线电信号、灵敏度等）降低
If the quality of something electrical or electronic degrades or is degraded, it becomes less good or less correct.
(CHANGE STRUCTURE)
[ I ] chemistry specialized降解，自然分解
(of a substance) to change into a more simple chemical structure
These chemicals quickly degrade into harmless compounds. 这些化学制品能很快降解为无害化合物。
See also: biodegrade