Debase vs Sophisticate - What's the difference?

As verbs the difference between debase and sophisticate

is that debase is to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade while sophisticate is to make less natural or innocent.

As a noun sophisticate is

a worldly-wise person.

As an adjective sophisticate is

adulterated; not pure; not genuine.

debase

English

Verb

(debas)

To lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade.

(archaic) To lower in position or rank.Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd ed., 1989.

To lower the value of (a currency) by reducing the amount of valuable metal in the coins.

Synonyms

* adulterate, degrade, demean

Derived terms

* debased * debasedness * debasement * debaser * undebased

References

Anagrams

sophisticate

English

Noun

(en noun)

A worldly-wise person

* '' , episode ''Sailor Mouth

Patrick: Because classy sophisticates like us should not stain our lips with cursing.

SpongeBob: Yea verily!

Verb

(sophisticat)

To make less natural or innocent.

* 1956–1960 , (second edition, 1960), chapter ii: “Motives and Motivation”, page 38:

Psychologists have developed quasi-causal theories to explain'' the directedness of behaviour, to answer the question ‘Why are certain sorts of reasons operative?’ and these theories may well have insinuated themselves into ordinary language as part of the meaning of “motive”. It might well be, therefore, that people who are slightly sophisticated by psychological theories assume some such necessary connexion [''sc. between giving the motive for an action and making any assertions of a causal kind about a man’s emotional state].

To practice sophistry; change the meaning of, or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive.

To sophisticate the understanding. — Southey.

Yet Butler professes to stick to plain facts, not to sophisticate , not to refine. — M. Arnold.

To alter and make impure, as with the intention to deceive.

To sophisticate wine. — Howell.

They purchase but sophisticated ware. — Dryden.

To make more complex or refined.

Adjective

(en adjective)

Adulterated; not pure; not genuine.

* Dryden

So truth, while only one supplied the state, / Grew scarce and dear, and yet sophisticate .