corrupts
Makes ethically rotten
Corrupts is the verb form of corrupt, meaning to degrade, spoil, or make dishonest.
Power corrupts those who wield it unchecked.
Money corrupts political systems.
In computing, data corrupts when files become damaged or unreadable: The virus corrupted my hard drive.
A corrupting influence leads others toward moral decay or wrongdoing.
Diminishes in quality
- taintsMakes slightly impure
- debasesReduces in value
- pervertsCorrupts or distorts
- depravesCauses moral decay
pollutes · contaminates · vitiates · sullies · stains · compromises · seduces · tempts
Misrepresents or deforms
- altersMakes something different
- garblesDistorts or confuses
- manglesDisfigures or distorts severely
- bastardizesCorrupts or degrades something
adulterates · debases · modifies · changes · mutates · degrades · warps · twists
Deteriorates over time
- rotsUndergoes organic breakdown
- spoilsSeized war gains
- decomposesBreaks into simpler components
- putrefiesUndergoes bacterial decay
ferments · molds · deteriorates · degrades · contaminates · taints · pollutes · infects
degrades
Diminishes in quality
depraves · pollutes · contaminates · vitiates · sullies · stains · compromises · seduces · tempts · bribes
distorts
Misrepresents or deforms
bastardizes · adulterates · debases · modifies · changes · mutates · degrades · warps · twists · misrepresents
decays
Deteriorates over time
- rotsUndergoes organic breakdown
- spoilsSeized war gains
- decomposesBreaks into simpler components
putrefies · ferments · molds · deteriorates · degrades · contaminates · taints · pollutes · infects · adulterates
damages
Compensation for injury
malware · virus · glitches · destroys · scrambles · overwrites · errors · disk · memory · database
bribes
Payments for corrupt favors
- officialsThose holding formal power
- politiciansElected government representatives
- powerEnergy transfer rate
graft · kickbacks · embezzlement · patronage · cronyism · nepotism · abuse · influence · scandal · payoffs
- tarnishesblemishes, blots, defames, denigrates, discredits
- distortionsdistort, distorts, deform, warp, twist
- erodeserodes, corrodes, abrades, wears down, wears out
corruptspurifies
Removes unwanted substances
cleanses · cleans · decontaminates · sanitizes · sterilizes
- government corruptionOfficials exploiting public trust
- corrupt copsDishonest law enforcement officers
- power corruptsDominion morally degrades wielders
- police corruptionOfficers abusing their authority
- political corruptionOfficials exploiting public power
- corruption chargesAllegations of abuse of power
corrupt, corruption, corrupted, corrupting, uncorrupted, incorruptible, corrupter, corruptible, anticorruption