degrade

US /dɪˈɡreɪd/
UK /dɪˈɡreɪd/
"degrade" picture
1.

treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect

:
It's wrong to degrade people based on their appearance.
The constant criticism began to degrade her self-esteem.
2.

break down or deteriorate chemically

:
Plastic bags can take hundreds of years to degrade.
The old wooden fence began to degrade after years of exposure to the elements.