Pejorare

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make something worse or to deteriorate in quality or condition
2. To worsen a situation or to negatively impact a circumstance
3. To cause degradation or to diminish the value or status of something

Etymology: "Pejorare" is a Latin verb meaning "to make worse," formed from "pejor," the comparative of "malus" (bad), so it literally means "to make more bad." Its root is the same as "pejorative," the English adjective for language that disparages, and the Latin comparative "pejor" also gives English the word "pejorative" by way of the scholarly tradition of coining terms from Latin roots. In English, "pejorate" is a word of recent scholarly coinage rather than something inherited from Latin. It is used mainly in linguistics, where it describes the process by which a word's meaning drifts toward something more negative over time. A classic example is "silly," which once meant "blessed" or "happy" in Old English before shifting toward foolishness. The Latin verb itself is attested in classical and later Latin texts, but its exact earliest occurrences should be checked in a dictionary before being cited. The English usage, as a technical term, is best dated to the modern era of linguistic study.

Synonyms: deteriorate, worsen, decline, degenerate, degrade

Antonyms: improve, enhance, ameliorate, upgrade