a single verb for " make some thing less valuable"?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

hi
please give me a single verb for " making something less worthy".

thanks.

2

To ruin something. (she ruined her white dress by spilling coffee on it)

Is that what you mean by “making less valuable”? If not, then please provide some context.

3

‘devalue’?
‘devaluate’?
‘depreciate’?

4

underrate, underestimate.
I don’t think devalue is as good because it seems to be more often used in economics.

5

to ‘underate’ or ‘under-estimate’ doesn’t make something less worthy - these terms are used when you rate something as being less worthy than it actually is, however they don’t change the value of the original.

Without the context (the sentence in which Gyna wants to use the verb), then ‘devalue’ is just as good as the other excellent suggestions, though I don’t think ‘devaluate’ is correct: If you devalue something it leads to devaluation, but I don’t think there is such a verb as ‘devaluate’ in its own right. At least, I’ve never heard it, but I’m not an economist so anything is possible!

6

Could you give us some more verbs?

7

Could you give us some more verbs?

8

humbled

9

HI,
thanks all for your invaluable descriptions. Here is an example where i would like to use the mentioned verb…for example I am talking about the effects of aspirin on preventing heart problems. While many studies have confimed that aspirin prevents heart attack, there is a study which has shown the opposite; that is, aspirin does not prevent heart attacks. Now, i want to say that this latter study cannot change our concept towards taking aspirin. In other words, " this study cannot DEVALUE taking aspirin."

Is using " DEVALUE" in the last sentence correct???

thanks.

10

It’s a pity you didn’t mention the context sooner. It would have made things so much easier.

This study does not undermine the obvious health benefits to some patients of taking aspirin on a regular basis.