corrupt

Dishonest or morally bad, especially when using power for personal gain.

• The mayor was corrupt.
• Corrupt officials demanded money before approving the permit.
• The novel portrays a morally corrupt society.

Similar words: dishonest, crooked, depraved

Opposites: honest

Common phrases: corrupt officials, corrupt government, morally corrupt

Containing errors or damage that make information incorrect or unusable.

• This file is corrupt.
• We restored the corrupt data from a backup.
• The editor compared two copies of the corrupt text.

Similar words: damaged, corrupted, faulty

Common phrases: corrupt file, corrupt data, corrupt text

Spoiled or made impure, so that it is no longer safe or good.

• They refused to eat the corrupt meat.
• The prisoners were given corrupt food.
• A foul smell rose from the corrupt water.

Similar words: spoiled, tainted, rotten

Opposites: fresh, pure

Common phrases: corrupt food, corrupt meat, corrupt water

To make someone dishonest or lead them to behave badly.

• Money can corrupt people.
• The officials were corrupted by promises of wealth.
• She feared that his influence would corrupt her son.

Similar words: deprave, pervert

Common phrases: corrupt someone, corrupt young minds, power can corrupt

To damage information or introduce errors so that it cannot be used correctly.

• The virus corrupted my files.
• A sudden power failure can corrupt the database.
• Did the failed update corrupt any data?

Similar words: damage

Common phrases: corrupt a file, corrupt the data, corrupt a database

To change something or add to it in a way that spoils its original quality or truth.

• These additions corrupt the original text.
• Later writers corrupted the story by adding invented events.
• Critics claimed that borrowed words would corrupt the language.

Similar words: adulterate, falsify, debase

Opposites: purify

Common phrases: corrupt a text, corrupt the language, corrupt the meaning