Definition of "downgrade" []

• A descending slope, as in a road. (noun)
• A turn or trend downward. (noun)
• A decline, as in fortune, status, or condition: a neighborhood on the downgrade. (noun)
• To lower the status or salary of. (verb-transitive)
• To minimize the importance, value, or reputation of. See Synonyms at decry, demote. (verb-transitive)

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.

• "So the wealthy may have to downgrade from the Mercedes to the Lexus."
• "Fitch Ratings downgraded Ireland's long-term foreign - and local-currency issuer default ratings to A+ from AA -, while keeping a negative outlook, which means a further downgrade is possible."
• "According to Alec Phillips, a Goldman Sachs political economist based in Washington, the increased momentum toward a deal "reduces the risk of the near-term downgrade of the U.S. sovereign rating.""