degenerate

Universal Words verb, adjective, noun verb [V] ~ (into sth) to become worse, for example by becoming lower in quality or weaker: The march degenerated into a riot. * Her health degenerated quickly. adjective 1 having moral standards that have fallen to a level that is very low and unacceptable to most people: a degenerate popular culture 2 (technical) having returned to a simple structure; lacking sth that is usually present degeneracy noun [U]: The movie is full of scenes of crime and degeneracy. noun (written) a person whose behaviour shows moral standards that have fallen to a very low level