corrupting
Making something rotten
Corrupting describes the process of degrading, tainting, or morally undermining something or someone.
A corrupting influence leads others toward dishonesty or depravity.
Power is often called corrupting because it tempts abuse.
Data or files can be corrupting when they damage other files they interact with.
The investigation revealed corrupting payments to local officials.
Corrupt by adding impurities
- polluteMake impure harmfully
- taintMake impure
- contaminateMake unclean or unsafe
- poisonHarmful ingested substance
foul · spoil · infect · defile · toxify · befoul · sour · blight
Process of declining quality
- erosionGradual wearing away
- disintegrationProcess of breaking apart
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- atrophyWasting from disuse
degeneracy · devolution · ruination · breakdown · withering · dilapidation · rotting · crumbling
Lower in quality
- defileTo violate sanctity
- pervertCorrupt or distort
- depraveCorrupt morally
- demoralizeDestroy confidence or resolve
taint · sully · besmirch · vitiate · debauch · seduce · tempt · entice
adulterate
Corrupt by adding impurities
- polluteMake impure harmfully
- taintMake impure
- contaminateMake unclean or unsafe
poison · foul · spoil · infect · defile · toxify · befoul · sour · blight · impure
deterioration
Process of declining quality
- erosionGradual wearing away
- disintegrationProcess of breaking apart
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
atrophy · degeneracy · devolution · ruination · breakdown · withering · dilapidation · rotting · crumbling · decadence
debase
Lower in quality
demoralize · taint · sully · besmirch · vitiate · debauch · seduce · tempt · entice · mislead
kickback
Illegal payment for services
- graftIllicit political gain
- payolaBribes for airplay
- backhanderSecret illicit payment
sweetener · under-the-table · grease · fix · sop · boodle · patronage · cronyism · nepotism · lobbying
malware
Harmful computer programs
scramble · glitch · hack · tamper · infiltrate · exploit · worm · spyware · ransomware · compromise
- contaminationpolluting, contaminating, fouling, tainting, poisoning
- corruptiongraft, kickbacks, bribery, bribes, bribe
- deterioratingdecaying, decomposing, degrading, rotting, eroding
- misusingabusing, mishandling, misapplying, misappropriating, misallocating
- signal problemsbad connection, dead zone, dead zones, dropped calls, no signal
corruptingpurifying
Removing unwanted substances
cleansing · restoring · healing · sterilizing · noninfectious
corruptingedifying
Intellectually or morally uplifting
instructive · educating · enlightening · didactic · nurturing
- government corruptionOfficials exploiting public trust
- police corruptionOfficers abusing their authority
- political corruptionOfficials exploiting public power
- corruption chargesAllegations of abuse of power
- moral corruptionDegradation of ethical principles
- corruption scandalExposed abuse of power
corruption, incorruptible, corruptible, corruptions, anticorruption, corruptive, incorruptibly