Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Degrade'

English Word: degrade

Key Russian Translations:

• унижать [unɪˈʒatʲ] - [Informal, Used for personal humiliation]
• понижать [pənɪˈʒatʲ] - [Formal, Often used for status or quality reduction]
• разлагать [rəzlɐˈɡatʲ] - [Formal, Used for moral or physical degradation]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1-B2 (Intermediate) for "унижать" and "понижать"; B2-C1 (Intermediate-Advanced) for "разлагать"

Pronunciation (Russian):

унижать: [unɪˈʒatʲ]

Note on унижать: Stress falls on the second syllable. The "ж" sound is a voiced fricative, similar to the 's' in "measure."

понижать: [pənɪˈʒatʲ]

Note on понижать: Stress on the second syllable. Similar pronunciation to "унижать" but with a prefix altering meaning.

разлагать: [rəzlɐˈɡatʲ]

Note on разлагать: Stress on the third syllable. The "г" is voiced, unlike in some other Slavic languages.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To humiliate or insult someone (personal degradation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• унижать - Used when referring to personal humiliation or belittling someone emotionally.

Usage Examples:

• Он постоянно унижает своих подчинённых на работе.

  He constantly degrades his subordinates at work.

• Не унижай себя, соглашаясь на такие условия.

  Don't degrade yourself by agreeing to such conditions.

• Её слова унизили его перед всеми друзьями.

  Her words degraded him in front of all his friends.

2. To lower in rank, status, or quality

Translation(s) & Context:

• понижать - Commonly used for reducing rank, value, or quality in formal or technical contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Его понизили в должности из-за ошибки.

  He was degraded in position due to a mistake.

• Качество продукции понизилось из-за сокращения затрат.

  The quality of the product was degraded due to cost cuts.

3. To break down or corrupt (moral or physical degradation)

Translation(s) & Context:

• разлагать - Used for moral decay or physical decomposition, often in formal or literary contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Алкоголь разлагает его личность.

  Alcohol is degrading his personality.

• Вещество разлагается под воздействием тепла.

  The substance degrades under the influence of heat.

• Коррупция разлагает общество изнутри.

  Corruption degrades society from within.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

унижать (Verb, Imperfective):

Note: Perfective form is "унизить."

понижать and разлагать follow similar imperfective verb conjugation patterns. Perfective forms are "понизить" and "разложить," respectively.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for унижать:

• оскорблять (to insult)
• принижать (to belittle)

Note: "оскорблять" focuses more on verbal insult, while "принижать" can imply subtle belittling.

Antonyms for унижать:

• возвышать (to elevate)
• хвалить (to praise)

Related Phrases:

• унижать достоинство - to degrade someone's dignity
• понижать в звании - to degrade in rank
• разлагать мораль - to degrade morals

Usage Notes:

• "унижать" is the most common translation when referring to personal humiliation and is often used in informal or emotional contexts.
• "понижать" is more formal and typically used for status, rank, or quality reduction, often in professional or technical discussions.
• "разлагать" carries a stronger connotation of decay or corruption and is less common in everyday speech, often appearing in literary or scientific contexts.
• Be mindful of aspect: all three verbs are imperfective. Use their perfective counterparts ("унизить," "понизить," "разложить") for completed actions.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "унижать" for physical or material degradation. Incorrect: "Этот процесс унижает материал." Correct: "Этот процесс разлагает материал." (This process degrades the material.)
• Error: Confusing "понижать" with "унижать" in personal contexts. Incorrect: "Он понизил меня перед друзьями." Correct: "Он унизил меня перед друзьями." (He degraded me in front of friends.)

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, personal dignity is highly valued, so using "унижать" to describe humiliation can carry strong emotional weight. Public criticism or belittling can be seen as particularly offensive, and learners should be cautious when using this term in social contexts.

Related Concepts:

• оскорбление (insult)
• унижение (humiliation)
• деградация (degradation)