to fall below a normal or desirable level in physical, mental, or moral qualities; deteriorate

The morale of the soldiers degenerated, and they were unable to fight.

to diminish in quality, esp. from a former state of coherence, balance, integrity, etc.

The debate degenerated into an exchange of insults.

Pathology . to lose functional activity, as a tissue or organ.

Evolution . (of a species or any of its traits or structures) to revert to a simple, less highly organized, or less functionally active type, as a parasitic plant that has lost its taproot or the vestigial wings of a flightless bird.

to cause degeneration in; bring about a decline, deterioration, or reversion in.

having fallen below a normal or desirable level, esp. in physical or moral qualities; deteriorated; degraded

a degenerate king.

having lost, or become impaired with respect to, the qualities proper to the race or kind

a degenerate vine.

characterized by or associated with degeneracy

degenerate times.

Mathematics . pertaining to a limiting case of a mathematical system that is more symmetrical or simpler in form than the general case.

Physics .

(of modes of vibration of a system) having the same frequency.

(of quantum states of a system) having equal energy.

a person who has declined, as in morals or character, from a type or standard considered normal.

a person or thing that reverts to an earlier stage of culture, development, or evolution.

a sexual deviate.

adjective

moral , upright , virtuous

verb

develop , improve

adjective

base , debased , debauched , decadent , decayed , degenerated , degraded , demeaned , depraved , dissolute , effete , failing , fallen , flatitious , immoral , infamous , low , mean , miscreant , nefarious , overripe , perverted , retrograde , retrogressive , rotten , sinking , unhealthy , vicious , villainous , vitiated , wicked , worsennotes:to degenerate means \'to decline in value , move lower on a scale\' but to deteriorate means \'to worsen , to become lowered , or be reduced in value\'; degenerate pertains more to character and virtue while deteriorate is more about loss of strength or vitality , flagitious , perverse , deteriorated , devitalized

verb

backslide , come apart at seams , corrode , corrupt , decline , decrease , deprave , descend , die on vine , disimprove , disintegrate , fall off , go downhill , go to pieces * , go to the dogs , lapse , lessen , regress , retrogress , return , revert , rot , sink , slip , vitiate , worsennotes:to degenerate means \'to decline in value , move lower on a scale\' but to deteriorate means \'to worsen , to become lowered , or be reduced in value\'; degenerate pertains more to character and virtue while deteriorate is more about loss of strength or vitality , atrophy , retrograde , worsen , deteriorate , fail , flag , languish , wane , waste , weaken , debase , decadent , decay , depraved , effete , immoral , perverted