What does depraving mean?
Depraving is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'deprave', meaning to make something or someone morally bad, corrupt, or wicked. The word carries a strongly formal register and typically appears in discussions of morality, law, literature, and social criticism — for example, one might speak of an artwork 'depraving public taste' or a corrupting influence 'depraving the young'. It derives from Latin 'depravare', formed from 'de-' (indicating distortion) and 'pravus' (crooked or perverse), so at root it suggests bending something away from what is right. Related forms include the adjective 'depraved' and the noun 'depravity', which are considerably more common in everyday usage. Writers choose 'depraving' when they want a weighty, judgmental term implying deliberate or corrosive moral damage rather than mere badness, making it a precise tool in moral and critical argument.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'deprave')Depraving is the act of making something or someone morally bad or corrupt; it is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'deprave'.
- Making someone or something morally corrupt or wicked, especially in character or taste.
"Critics accused the tabloid of depraving public taste with its relentless sensationalism."
"The prosecutor argued that the pamphlet was guilty of depraving the minds of young readers."
"He warned that unchecked greed was slowly depraving the institutions he had once trusted."
For centuries, British courts could prosecute publishers for 'depraving' public morals — a word straight from Latin that once carried real legal force.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of depraving
Depraving comes from the Latin 'depravare', meaning to distort or pervert, built on 'de-' plus 'pravus', meaning crooked or perverse. The verb entered English via Old French 'depraver' in the late Middle Ages, and its derivatives 'depraved' and 'depravity' followed soon after. Cognates sharing the Latin root include 'depravity' and 'depravation'.
Related word forms
How depraving is actually used
Formal and somewhat old-fashioned in tone; common in legal, moral, and literary criticism contexts. Often appears in the fixed phrase 'depraving influence'. The verb 'deprave' is more frequently encountered in its adjectival form 'depraved' than in progressive constructions.
Easily confused with depraving
'Depriving' means taking something away from someone, while 'depraving' means morally corrupting them; they look similar but differ in both meaning and pronunciation.