different between impair vs degrade

English

Alternative forms

• empair (obsolete, rare)

Etymology

From Middle English impairen, empeiren, from Old French empeirier, variant of empirier (“to worsen”), from Vulgar Latin *imp?i?r?, from im- + Late Latin p?i?r? (“to make worse”), from peior (“worse”), comparative of malus (“bad”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?p??/
• Rhymes: -??(?)

Verb

impair (third-person singular simple present impairs, present participle impairing, simple past and past participle impaired)

1. (transitive) To weaken; to affect negatively; to have a diminishing effect on.
2. (intransitive, archaic) To grow worse; to deteriorate.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)

Synonyms

• blunt, diminish, hurt, lessen, mar, reduce, weaken, worsen

Derived terms

• impairment

Translations

Adjective

impair (comparative more impair, superlative most impair)

1. (obsolete) Not fit or appropriate; unsuitable.

Further reading

• impair in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• impair in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• impair at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin imp?r, equivalent to im- +? pair.

Adjective

impair (feminine singular impaire, masculine plural impairs, feminine plural impaires)

1. odd (of a number)

   Antonym: pair

Derived terms

• fonction impaire
• nombre impair

References

• “impair” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Antonyms

• pair

Anagrams

• primai

English

Etymology

From Middle French dégrader

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d????e?d/, /di???e?d/

Rhymes: -e?d

Verb

degrade (third-person singular simple present degrades, present participle degrading, simple past and past participle degraded)

1. (transitive) To lower in value or social position.
   • 1859-1890, John G. Palfrey, History of New England to the Revolutionary War

     Prynne was sentenced by the Star Chamber Court to be degraded from the bar.

2. (intransitive, ergative) To reduce in quality or purity.

3. (transitive, geology) To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.

Derived terms

• degradation

Translations

Portuguese

Verb

degrade

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of degradar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of degradar
3. third-person singular imperative of degradar

Spanish

Verb

degrade

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of degradar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of degradar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of degradar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of degradar.