corrupt
Other forms: corrupted; corrupting; corrupts; corrupter; corruptest
If someone or something is corrupt, they’re broken morally or in some other way. Corrupt people perform immoral or illegal acts for personal gain, without apology. Corrupt politicians take bribes and deny it.
When you corrupt someone, you convince them to do something wrong or even illegal. If you talk your little brother into stealing cookies from the cookie jar, you're corrupting him. Something corrupt is rotten, spoiled, or out of commission, like a file that makes your computer crash. A corrupt person — a criminal, a crook, or a cookie thief — brings society down with immoral and dishonest behavior. Corrupt goes back to the Latin roots cor-, "altogether," and rumpere, "break."
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not straight; dishonest or immoral or evasive
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lacking in integrity“humanity they knew to be corrupt...from the day of Adam's creation”“a corrupt and incompetent city government”synonyms:depraved, perverse, perverted, reprobatedeviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or goodPraetorian, Pretoriancharacteristic of or similar to the corruptible soldiers in the Praetorian Guard with respect to corruption or political venalityputridmorally corrupt or evilsold-outhaving taken a bribe or bribesimmoraldeliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrongantonyms:incorruptfree of corruption or immoralityantisepticclean and honestincorruptibleincapable of being morally corrupteduncorruptednot debased
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touched by rot or decay
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corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
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place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
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make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
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containing errors or alterations
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alter from the originalsynonyms: spoiltypes:adulterate, debase, dilute, load, stretchcorrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior oneswater downthin by adding water totype of:modifymake less severe or harsh or extreme
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Vocabulary lists containing corrupt
You'll be bursting with pride after you master this list of words derived from the Latin root rupt, meaning "burst or break."
There are so many great words for awful things. Is it unpleasant, a little off, or unspeakably evil? Learn this list and use your vocabulary powers for good! For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
Kambili and Jaja's life among the elite in Nigeria isn't so easy under the thumb of their oppressive father. When the country becomes mired in political turmoil, they are sent to stay with their aunt, where they learn a different way of life.