Definition of 'deprave'

Word Frequency

deprave

(dɪpreɪv )

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense depraves , present participle depraving , past tense, past participle depraved

verb

Something that depraves someone makes them morally bad or evil.

[formal]

...material likely to deprave or corrupt those who see it. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: corrupt, pervert, degrade, seduce More Synonyms of deprave

Word Frequency

deprave in British

(dɪˈpreɪv )

verb (transitive)

to make morally bad; corrupt; vitiate

2. obsolete

to defame; slander

Derived forms

depravation (ˌdɛprəˈveɪʃən )

noun

depraver (deˈpraver)

noun

Word origin of 'deprave'

C14: from Latin dēprāvāre to distort, corrupt, from de- + prāvus crooked

Word Frequency

deprave in American

(diˈpreɪv ; dēprāvˈ; dɪˈpreɪv ; diprāvˈ)

verb transitiveWord forms: deˈpraved or deˈpraving

to lead into bad habits; make morally bad; corrupt; pervert

2. Obsolete

to defame or slander

SIMILAR WORDS: deˈbase

Derived forms

depravation (ˌdepraˈvation) (ˌdɛprəˈveɪʃən ; depˌrəvāˈshən)

noun

depraver (deˈpraver)

noun

Word origin of 'deprave'

ME depraven < OFr depraver < L depravare, to make crooked < de-, intens. + pravus, crooked < IE base *pra-, to bend > MIr rāth, bulwark

Example sentences containing 'deprave'

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Do we see ourselves as totally depraved? Christianity Today (2000)

Trends of 'deprave'

Used Rarely. deprave is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'deprave'

Source

Definition of deprave from the Collins English Dictionary

The subjunctive

The subjunctive was formerly used in English for situations that were improbable or that expressed a wish. It is only rarely used in modern British English. It is, however, found in certain set phras...