Degradálni

Degradálni is a Hungarian verb meaning “to degrade” or “to demote”. In everyday use it refers both to a literal lowering of rank or status and to figurative applications such as lowering a character’s reputation or deteriorating a situation. The word is constructed from the noun “degradáció” (degradation) with the infinitive verbal affix –´-á‑. It is typically conjugated in the same manner as regular Hungarian verbs that have a long infinitive stem, e.g. megdegradál, lagerdegradál, stb. The verb may be used with transitive objects: a személyt (someone) degradálni, or intransitively with adverbs: alapot degradálni.

In legal or administrative contexts, degradálni often describes the formal loss of citizenship, political office, or professional accreditation. In social media and journalistic discourse it frequently carries a negative connotation, describing moral or ethical decline. German, French, and English have cognates such as „degradieren“ and “degrade”, suggesting a common Indo-European root related to the Latin verb degradare.

The concept of degrade has also been applied collegiately to systems and technologies: a machine may degrade after prolonged use. In ecological research, habitat degradation is an area of concern. The term can join compound phrases: „degradálási folyamat” (degradation process), “degradálási szint” (degradation level). The common linguistic form “degradálni” remains stable across time, with only few archaic variants.