What does "downgrade" mean?
A reduction of a rating, as a financial or credit rating.
Downgrade
/ˈdaʊnˌɡɹeɪd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A reduction of a rating, as a financial or credit rating.
- Grammar: downgrade is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abase, abased, abridge, adown.
- Useful contrasts: advanced course label, advanced spanish class, enhanced.
- Usage evidence: The new version of the app wasn't working very well, so I had to downgrade it.
How to use "downgrade"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "downgrade" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "downgrade" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "downgrade" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "downgrade" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "downgrade" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abase" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "downgrade", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A reduction of a rating, as a financial or credit rating.
- 2 the property possessed by a slope or surface that descends wordnet
- 3 A downhill gradient on a road or railway.
"[...] dynamic braking is fitted to the 99-ton, 55 ft.-long locomotives to help control these otherwise vacuum-braked trains on the long, continuous downgrades encountered on the coastal route."
- 4 A reduction in quality; a descent towards an inferior state.
"Near-synonyms: degradation, worsening, deterioration"
Verb
- 1 To place lower in position.
"The stock was downgraded from ‘buy’ to ‘sell’."
- 2 rate lower; lower in value or esteem wordnet
- 3 To reduce in complexity, or remove unnecessary parts; to dumb down.
"More significantly, rigid deference to [Justin] Bieber’s still-young core fan base keeps things resolutely PG, with any acknowledgement of sex either couched in vague “touch your body” workarounds or downgraded to desirous hand-holding and eye-gazing."
- 4 To disparage. transitive
"We cannot afford to downgrade the lifestyles of other lesbians; we cannot afford to portray lesbians thinly as drunken and bothersome separatists who push their views on "work-within-the-movement" dykes"."
- 5 to reduce the official estimate of a storm's intensity.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To revert software back to an older version.
Antonyms
Example
"The new version of the app wasn't working very well, so I had to downgrade it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "downgrade"?
Common synonyms include: abase, abased, abridge, adown, aggravate, aside.
How do you use "downgrade" in a sentence?
The new version of the app wasn't working very well, so I had to downgrade it.
How do you pronounce "downgrade"?
Pronounced /ˈdaʊnˌɡɹeɪd/.
Etymology
From down- + grade.