Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Degenerate'

English Word: degenerate

Key Russian Translations:

• выродиться [vɨˈrodʲɪtʲsə] - [Formal, Verb, Perfective]
• дегенерировать [dʲɪɡʲɪnʲɪˈrovətʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Both Aspects]
• дегенерат [dʲɪɡʲɪnʲɪˈrat] - [Informal, Noun, Derogatory]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for verbs; C1 (Advanced) for noun due to derogatory connotation

Pronunciation (Russian):

выродиться: [vɨˈrodʲɪtʲsə]

Note on выродиться: Stress on the second syllable; the 'ы' sound is distinct from 'и' and requires practice.

дегенерировать: [dʲɪɡʲɪnʲɪˈrovətʲ]

Note on дегенерировать: Stress on the fourth syllable; a loanword with a familiar structure for English speakers.

дегенерат: [dʲɪɡʲɪnʲɪˈrat]

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To decline in quality or morality (Verb)

Translation(s) & Context:

• выродиться - Used for moral or cultural decline, often in historical or societal contexts.
• дегенерировать - Broader usage, can apply to biological, cultural, or personal decline.

Usage Examples:

• Этот народ выродился из-за войн и бедствий.

  This nation degenerated due to wars and disasters.

• Его талант начал дегенерировать с возрастом.

  His talent began to degenerate with age.

• Общество может выродиться без моральных ценностей.

  Society can degenerate without moral values.

2. A person of low moral or intellectual quality (Noun, Derogatory)

Translation(s) & Context:

• дегенерат - Highly offensive term for a person considered morally or intellectually degraded.

Usage Examples:

• Он назвал его дегенератом из-за подлого поступка.

  He called him a degenerate because of his despicable act.

• Не будь дегенератом, подумай о последствиях!

  Don’t be a degenerate, think about the consequences!

Russian Forms/Inflections:

выродиться (Verb, Perfective): Conjugates irregularly in past tense; used with preposition 'в' for transformation into something worse.

Person	Present (Imperfective Pair: вырождаться)	Past (Perfective)
1st Sing.	вырождаюсь	выродился
3rd Plur.	вырождаются	выродились

дегенерировать (Verb, Both Aspects): Regular conjugation, follows standard -овать pattern.

дегенерат (Noun, Masculine): Declines as a regular masculine noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	дегенерат	дегенераты
Genitive	дегенерата	дегенератов

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for выродиться/дегенерировать:

• опуститься (to sink, decline morally)
• регрессировать (to regress, formal)

Synonyms for дегенерат:

• выродок (derogatory, similar tone)

Antonyms:

• развиваться (to develop, progress)
• процветать (to flourish)

Related Phrases:

• выродиться в ничтожество - to degenerate into nothingness (complete moral or personal decline).
• дегенерация общества - degeneration of society (used in sociological discussions).

Usage Notes:

• выродиться often carries a historical or societal connotation and is rarely used for individuals unless in a poetic or dramatic sense.
• дегенерировать is more neutral and can apply to a wider range of contexts, including biological and personal decline.
• дегенерат is highly offensive and should be avoided in polite conversation; it is akin to a slur in English.

Common Errors:

1. Misusing дегенерат as a casual insult: English speakers might use it lightly, not realizing its strong derogatory weight. Correct usage requires understanding its offensive nature.

Example of Error: "Ты дегенерат, ха-ха!" (Intended as a joke but highly offensive).

Correct Alternative: Use a lighter term like "дурак" (fool) for playful contexts.

2. Confusing aspects of выродиться/вырождаться: Learners often fail to use the correct aspect. Use perfective (выродиться) for completed decline and imperfective (вырождаться) for ongoing process.

Cultural Notes:

The term дегенерат has historical connotations in Russian, tied to Soviet-era rhetoric and propaganda about moral or ideological decay. It was sometimes used to label dissidents or those deemed socially undesirable, so it carries a heavy cultural weight.

Related Concepts:

• упадок (decline)
• регресс (regression)
• моральное разложение (moral decay)