degenerate

/di-ˈjen-rət/

Middle English degenerat, from Latin degeneratus, past participle of degenerare to degenerate, from de- + gener-, genus race, kind

adjective

  1. having declined or become less specialized (as in nature, character, structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state

  2. having sunk to a condition below that which is normal to a type; especially : having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious state

  3. degraded

the last degenerate member of a noble family

… fruit so degenerate that the insects weren't even interested …

vicious villainous iniquitous nefarious corrupt degenerate mean highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct. vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence. villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

verb

  1. to pass from a higher to a lower type or condition : deteriorate

  2. to sink into a low intellectual or moral state

  3. to decline in quality

her fixed mysterious smile degenerated into a fatuous stare

noun

  1. one that is degenerate : such, as

  2. one degraded from the normal moral standard

  3. a sexual pervert

social degenerates