| Main Entry: | corrupt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pervert; pollute |
Synonyms: |
abase, abuse, adulterate, animalize, bastardize, blemish, blight, bribe, contaminate, damage, debase, debauch, decay, decompose, deface, defile, deform, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, despoil, disfigure, disgrace, dishonor, fix, grease palm, harm, hurt, ill-treat, impair, infect, injure, lower, lure, maltreat, mar, mistreat, misuse, outrage, pull down, putrefy, ravage, reduce, rot, ruin, spoil, square, stain, suborn, subvert, taint, undermine, violate, vitiate, warp, waste |
Antonyms: |
better, chasten, cleanse, dignify, improve, purify |
| Main Entry: | corrupting |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | evil |
Synonyms: |
noxious, pernicious, pestiferous, pestilent |
Antonyms: |
purifying |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | physically hurt or injure |
Synonyms: |
bang up, beat up, bung up, corrupt, cut up, damage, defile, deprave, desecrate, harm, hose, ill-treat, impair, maltreat, mar, mess up*, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pollute, rough up, roughhouse, ruin, shake up, spoil, taint, total*, victimize, violate, wax |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
Antonyms: |
cherish, defend, help, preserve, protect, respect |
| Main Entry: | adulterate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | alter or debase, often for profit |
Synonyms: |
alloy, amalgamate, attenuate, blend, cheapen, commingle, contaminate, cook, corrupt, cut*, defile, degrade, denature, depreciate, deteriorate, devalue, dilute, dissolve, doctor up, doctor*, falsify, impair, infiltrate, intermix, irrigate, lace, make impure, mingle, mix, phony up, plant*, pollute, shave, spike*, taint, thin, transfuse, vitiate, water down, weaken |
Antonyms: |
clarify, clean, cleanse, distill, filter, free, purify, refine |
| Main Entry: | bastardize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | debase |
Synonyms: |
adulterate, bestialize, brutalize, corrupt, debauch, declare illegitimate, degrade, demoralize, deprave, pervert, vitiate, warp |
Antonyms: |
appreciate, praise, value |
| Main Entry: | bribe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | request silence, action, or inaction for money |
Synonyms: |
approach, buy, buy back, buy off, coax, corrupt, do business, entice, fix*, get at, get to, grease palm, influence, instigate, lubricate, lure, make a deal, oil palm, pay off, pervert, reward, seduce, soap, square, suborn, sugar, sweeten the pot, take care of, tamper, tempt, tip |
| Main Entry: | buy |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bribe |
Synonyms: |
corrupt, fix, grease palm, have, land, lubricate, oil palm, ransom, reach, redeem, sop, square, suborn, tamper |
| Main Entry: | cheapen |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | diminish worth |
Synonyms: |
abase, beat down, belittle, corrupt, damage, debase, decline, decry, degrade, demean, denigrate, depreciate, derogate, devalue, discredit, disparage, downgrade, drop, fall, lose value, lower, mar, mark down, minimize, reduce, render worthless, ruin, spoil, undervalue, write off |
Antonyms: |
appreciate, enhance, increase, raise, upgrade |
| Main Entry: | contaminate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adulterate |
Synonyms: |
alloy, befoul, corrupt, debase, debauch, defile, deprave, desecrate, dirty, harm, infect, injure, muck up, pervert, poison, pollute, profane, radioactivate, soil, spoil, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, vitiate |
Antonyms: |
clean, cure, heal, purify, sterilize |
| Main Entry: | corrode |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wear away; eat away |
Synonyms: |
bite, canker, consume, corrupt, destroy, deteriorate, erode, gnaw, impair, oxidize, rot, rust, scour, waste |
Antonyms: |
aid, build, fortify, help |