dégrader

\de.ɡʁa.de\

/\de.ɡʁa.de\/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“dégrader” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #17,686 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#17,686
frequency rank, French
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dépouiller, destituer quelqu’un d’une manière infamante de son grade, de sa dignité, de son emploi, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

dégrader vs déraper
75% similar
dégrader vs dégager
75% similar
dégrader vs dégradée
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for dégrader
PropertyValue
Headworddégrader
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\de.ɡʁa.de\
Letters8
Frequency rank#17,686
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dégrader” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). dégrader lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for dégrader is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \de.ɡʁa.de\. Corpus data places it at rank #17,686 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for dégrader, with forms such as "ddégrader", "degrader", and "dgérader". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "déraper", "dégager", "dégradée", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is dégrader, spelled D-É-G-R-A-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dépouiller, destituer quelqu’un d’une manière infamante de son grade, de sa dignité, de son emploi, etc.
  2. 2
    Avilir.
  3. 3
    Perdre de son aptitude à fournir du travail, en parlant de toute forme d’énergie.
  4. 4
    Détériorer ; endommager.
  5. 5
    Décomposer.
  6. 6
    Faire varier progressivement la lumière, la couleur, en en diminuant l’intensité.

Antonyms

promouvoir

This word in other languages

demote(English)degradar(Español)degradieren(Deutsch)degradar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddégrader,degrader,dgérader,dégarder,déggrader,dégradder,dégraderr,dégradre,dégraedr,dégrdaer,dégrrader,dérgader,édgrader

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dégrader - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddégrader1degrader1dgérader2dégarder2déggrader1dégradder1dégraderr1dégradre2
Edit distance from "dégrader"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dégrader"?
"dégrader" is spelled D-É-G-R-A-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \de.ɡʁa.de\.
What does "dégrader" mean?
As a verb, "dégrader" means: Dépouiller, destituer quelqu’un d’une manière infamante de son grade, de sa dignité, de son emploi, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "dégrader"?
"dégrader" is commonly confused with "déraper", "dégager", "dégradée". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dégrader"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dégrader" is \de.ɡʁa.de\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "dégrader" come from?
"dégrader" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “dégrader”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is D-É-G-R-A-D-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \de.ɡʁa.de\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “déraper” - see the side-by-side comparison. dégrader vs déraper
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list