deprave

/di'preiv/

Thân thiện

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To make morally bad or evil; to corrupt, pervert, or debase someone's character, morals, or principles.
   • To lead someone into depravity or a state of moral corruption.

Usage

The verb "deprave" is a formal term used to describe the action of causing moral corruption. It typically implies a profound and often intentional negative influence that warps someone's innate sense of right and wrong. It is often used in contexts discussing harmful influences on the young or vulnerable.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The court argued that the violent film had the potential to deprave young viewers.
  • He was accused of using his position of power to deprave the morals of his followers.
  • Critics claim that such explicit material can deprave and corrupt society.

Advanced Usage

• "To deprave someone's mind": To corrupt someone's thoughts or moral judgment.
  • The prosecutor argued that the defendant's actions were calculated to deprave the minds of the jurors.
• Often used in legal contexts, such as the concept of "depraved heart" in some jurisdictions, indicating a wanton disregard for human life.

Variants and Related Words

• Depraved (adj): Morally corrupt, wicked, or perverted.
  • The villain in the story was a truly depraved character.
• Depravity (n): Moral corruption; wickedness.
  • The novel explores the depths of human depravity.
• Depravement (n): (Less common) The act of depraving or the state of being depraved.

Synonyms

• Corrupt: To cause to act dishonestly or immorally.
• Debauch: To lead into excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures.
• Debase: To reduce in quality, value, or character; to degrade.
• Pervert: To distort or corrupt the original meaning or state of something, often in a sexual context.
• Subvert: To undermine the power, authority, or moral principles of.

Antonyms

• Edify: To instruct or improve someone morally or intellectually.
• Ennoble: To give a noble quality to; to elevate.
• Purify: To make pure; to cleanse from moral imperfection.
• Uplift: To raise to a higher moral, social, or cultural level.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Depraved indifference: A legal term for a conscious disregard of an extreme risk to human life.
  • He was charged with murder based on depraved indifference.
• While "deprave" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verbs, its related forms appear in descriptive phrases about moral state.

Học thuật

Verb

1. corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
   • debauch the young people with wine and women
   • Socrates was accused of corrupting young men
   • Do school counselors subvert young children?
   • corrupt the morals