to cause people to feel that they or other people have no value and do not have the respect or good opinion of others

Pornography degrades women. 色情作品是对女性的侮辱。

to spoil or destroy the beauty or quality of something

Every day the environment is further degraded by toxic wastes. 环境日益受到有毒废物的危害。

If the quality of something electrical or electronic degrades or is degraded, it becomes less good or less correct.

(of a substance) to change into a more simple chemical structure

These chemicals quickly degrade into harmless compounds. 这些化学制品能很快降解为无害化合物。