downgrade

1 of 2

noun

down·​grade ˈdau̇n-ˌgrād How to pronounce downgrade (audio)
Synonyms of downgradenext
1
: a downward grade (as of a road)
2
: a descent toward an inferior state
a career on the downgrade

downgrade

2 of 2

verb

downgraded; downgrading; downgrades

transitive verb

1
: to lower in quality, value, status, or extent
2
: minimize, depreciate

Synonyms of downgrade

Relevance

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of downgrade in a Sentence

Noun a downgrade in the company's stock prices a singing career on the downgrade Verb The restaurant was downgraded from three to two stars. She didn't intend to downgrade the importance of her colleague's work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Titan 2 Elite has a smaller 4,050mAh battery, a downgrade from the Titan 2's 5,050mAh cell, that charges at up to 33W when plugged in. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026 That led to midyear cuts, layoffs, furlough days and a string of crisis borrowing and credit downgrades that the district is still paying off today, officials said. — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
It was downgraded from a 24-hour coffee shop to breakfast and buffet service only because business couldn't support it. — Juhi Doshi, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Circle Internet Group — The stablecoin issuer declined 5% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to underweight from equal weight. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for downgrade

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downgrade was in 1847

Rhymes for downgrade

See All Rhymes for downgrade

Browse Nearby Words

downgone
downgrade
down-gyved
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downgrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downgrade. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

downgrade

1 of 2 noun
down·​grade -ˌgrād How to pronounce downgrade (audio)
1
: a downward slope
2
: a lowering toward a worse condition
a neighborhood on the downgrade
downgrade adverb

downgrade

2 of 2 verb
: to lower in grade, rank, or standing

More from Merriam-Webster on downgrade

Nglish: Translation of downgrade for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All