Word of the Day - degrade

degrade

/dɪˈɡreɪd/
verb
[with object]
1 Treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect.
1.1 Lower the character or quality of.
1.2 archaic - Reduce (someone) to a lower rank, especially as a punishment.
2 Break down or deteriorate chemically.
2.1 Physics Reduce (energy) to a less readily convertible form.
2.2 Geology Wear down (rock) and cause it to disintegrate.

Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French degrader, from ecclesiastical Latin
degradare, from de- ‘down, away from’ + Latin gradus ‘step or grade’.

Sally, perpetual first place in high school and college, felt degraded
when she came in second in the race in the Olympics, becoming the
first-ever medalist from her country in the games. She was her own worst
critic.