corrupt

Verb · Adjective
Synonyms: pervertsubvertdemoralizedemoralisedebauchdebaseprofanevitiatedepravemisdirectbribebuy

WordNet 3.0

Verb (4)

  1. corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality“debauch the young people with wine and women”“Socrates was accused of corrupting young men”“Do school counselors subvert young children?”“corrupt the morals”Synonyms: pervertsubvertdemoralizedemoralisedebauchdebaseprofanevitiatedepravemisdirect
  2. make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence“This judge can be bought”Synonyms: bribebuygrease one's palms
  3. place under suspicion or cast doubt upon“sully someone's reputation”Synonyms: defilesullytaintcloud
  4. alter from the originalSynonyms: spoil

Adjective (4)

  1. lacking in integrity“humanity they knew to be corrupt...from the day of Adam's creation”“a corrupt and incompetent city government”
  2. not straight; dishonest or immoral or evasiveSynonyms: crooked
  3. containing errors or alterations“a corrupt text”“spoke a corrupted version of the language”Synonyms: corrupted
  4. touched by rot or decay“tainted bacon”“`corrupt' is archaic”Synonyms: tainted
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Corrupt \Cor*rupt"\ (k?r-r?pt"), v. i.

1.To become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

2.To become vitiated; to lose purity or goodness. [1913 Webster]

Corrupt \Cor*rupt"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corrupted; p. pr. & vb. n. Corrupting.]

1.To change from a sound to a putrid or putrescent state; to make putrid; to putrefy. [1913 Webster]

2.To change from good to bad; to vitiate; to deprave; to pervert; to debase; to defile. [1913 Webster]

Evil communications corrupt good manners.— 1. Cor. xv. 33.[1913 Webster]

3.To draw aside from the path of rectitude and duty; as, to corrupt a judge by a bribe. [1913 Webster]

Heaven is above all yet; there sits a Judge That no king can corrupt.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

4.To debase or render impure by alterations or innovations; to falsify; as, to corrupt language; to corrupt the sacred text. [1913 Webster]

He that makes an ill use of it [language], though he does not corrupt the fountains of knowledge, . . . yet he stops the pines.— Locke.[1913 Webster]

5.To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless. [1913 Webster]

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt.— Matt. vi. 19.[1913 Webster]
Corrupt \Cor*rupt`\ (k?r-r?pt"), a. [L. corruptus, p. p. of corrumpere to corrupt; cor- + rumpere to break. See Rupture.]

1.Changed from a sound to a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound. [1913 Webster]

Who with such corrupt and pestilent bread would feed them.— Knolles.[1913 Webster]

2.Changed from a state of uprightness, correctness, truth, etc., to a worse state; vitiated; depraved; debased; perverted; as, corrupt language; corrupt judges. [1913 Webster]

At what ease Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt To swear against you.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

3.Abounding in errors; not genuine or correct; as, the text of the manuscript is corrupt. [1913 Webster]

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