😞 Humiliating 💔 Damaging 🧬 Breaking down

degradative

8.4

Causing something to become worse or to work less well

adjective
/dɪˈɡrædəˌtɪv/

: degradante

The degradative effects of pollution can be seen in the once vibrant ecosystem.

Examples

The report highlighted the degradative processes that harm the efficiency of the machinery.
Over time, the chemical reactions had a degradative impact on the metal structure.
During ischemia, urate production may be increased as a result of degradative loss of high-energy phosphate metabolites (19).

Academic text (1993)

Synonyms

degenerative

vsdegradative

Specialized

24 7.8

A disease that gets worse over time as parts of the body lose function

applies to decline in quality or performance across contexts, not only tissues

corrosive

vsdegradative

Specialized

14 6.6

Able to eat away materials by a chemical reaction, for example strong acids

causes broad reduction in quality or effectiveness, not only chemical damage

erosive

vsdegradative

1 6.4

A thing that slowly wears something away by wind, water, or chemicals

causes general decline in quality or performance rather than only surface wear

disintegrative

vsdegradative

1 8.7

Causing things to break into smaller parts

causes loss of quality or function rather than only physical splitting

depreciative

vsdegradative

7.5

Causing the value of something to fall

reduces overall quality or effectiveness rather than only economic worth

depreciatory

vsdegradative

Specialized

7.9

Causing money or goods to lose value

affects general performance or quality rather than narrowly targeting finances

How Damaging

ruinous

10 7.0

destructive

243 4.2

degradative

8.4

damaging

80 3.1

detrimental

49 6.3

Surface Forms

degradative positive

Morphology

degradative = degrade (transparent) = degrade + ative

For learners who know the verb 'degrade', the adjective meaning 'causing degradation' is a straightforward suffixal extension.

Etymology

Degradative comes from the parts de- 'down' and grade 'step', like the everyday word grade for levels. So something degradative makes quality or performance go 'down', which is why it means causing deterioration or a reduction in effectiveness.