De-prāve', v. t.
v. t. [imp. & p. p. DEPRAVED; p. pr. & vb. n. DEPRAVING.] [Fr. dépraver, Pr., Sp., & Pg. depravar, It. depravare, Lat. depravare, from de and pravus, crooked, distorted, perverse, wicked, vicious, bad.]
- To speak ill of; to pervert; to misrepresent. [Obs.] Golden Book.
- To make bad or worse; to impair; to vitiate; to corrupt.
Whose pride depraves each other better part. Spenser. 3. To defame; to traduce. [Obs.] Troy . . . doth deprave thy noblesse in mine ears. Chapman. Syn.—To corrupt; vitiate; contaminate; pollute.