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Definition of "debauch" [de•bauch]

  • To corrupt morally. (verb-transitive)
  • To lead away from excellence or virtue. (verb-transitive)
  • To reduce the value, quality, or excellence of; debase. See Synonyms at corrupt. (verb-transitive)
  • Archaic To cause to forsake allegiance. (verb-transitive)
  • To indulge in dissipation. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "debauch" in a sentence
  • "“Shall” is a mandatory verb — implying that the man really intended to both seduce and debauch from the beginning."
  • "Those that can swallow a false word debauch their consciences, so that a false oath will not choke them."
  • "Only the good feeling does not last — nay, the tears are a kind of debauch of sentiment, as old libertines are said to find that the tears and grief of their victims add a zest to their pleasure."