Word · Frequency #11310
degenerate
退化；恶化；变坏
To become worse or lose good qualities; to decline.
- 1.
To lose good or desirable qualities.
失去良好或理想品质
- 2.
To cause to lose good or desirable qualities.
使失去良好或理想品质
- 3.
grow worse
恶化
使退化；使恶化；失去良好或理想品质；使失去良好或理想品质；恶化；退化
In use
After months of poor diet, his health degenerated quickly.
The neighborhood began to degenerate after the factory closed.
The friendly debate degenerated into a shouting match.
Conditions in the slums degenerated
Verb forms
base degenerate · third person degenerates · -ing degenerating · past degenerated · past participle degenerated
常指情况、品质或道德等变坏或退化。
Connections
Collocations
- degenerate into chaos
- 陷入混乱；恶化成混乱
- The peaceful protest degenerated into chaos.和平抗议演变成了混乱。
- degenerate into violence
- 演变成暴力
- The argument degenerated into violence.争吵演变成了暴力。
- degenerate rapidly
- 迅速恶化
- His condition degenerated rapidly after the surgery.手术后他的状况迅速恶化。
- degenerate over time
- 随时间推移而退化；逐渐恶化
- The building's structure degenerated over time.这座建筑的结构随时间推移而退化。
Idioms & figurative uses
- degenerate into chaos
- 陷入混乱；恶化成混乱The peaceful protest degenerated into chaos.和平抗议演变成了混乱。
Learner notes
Memory Tip
词里有gene（基因）——基因出问题，生物会退化；动词就是“退化、恶化”。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：formal writing、news reports、academic discussion 动词 degenerate 多用于书面语或正式场合，表示逐渐变坏或退化为更差的状态；日常口语中较少用，可换成 get worse 或 deteriorate。
Grammar Note
既可作及物动词（使退化），也可作不及物动词（退化、堕落），常与介词into连用。
Pronunciation & Spelling
Degenerate ends in -erate but is pronounced /dɪˈdʒɛnɝət/. Among the -erate words, moderate, desperate, and considerate have a final /ərət/ (matching the unstressed ending), while generate, operate, and exaggerate end in /eɪt/ as verbs. None rhymes exactly with degenerate because its stressed syllable is /dʒɛn/.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.