bastardize C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes Also spelled bastardised US /ˈbæstɚˌdaɪz/ UK /ˈbɑːstədaɪz/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to corrupt or debase by adding impure or inferior elements Purists claim the remake bastardized the original score. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to corrupt or debase by... corruptdebasedegradeadulteratevitiatepervertcheapen ↔ Opposites purifyrefineennoble Word family Derived forms bastardization Related forms bastardbastardybastardly Etymology AI details From bastard plus the verb suffix -ize; bastard is from Old French bastard, probably from bast ('packsaddle') plus -ard. bastard Old French View etymology graph -> Topics Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # bastardize **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈbæstɚˌdaɪz/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈbɑːstədaɪz/ ## Meanings 1. to corrupt or debase by adding impure or inferior elements ## Examples - Purists claim the remake bastardized the original score. ## Synonyms - corrupt - debase - degrade - adulterate - vitiate - pervert - cheapen ## Antonyms - purify - refine - ennoble ## Derived Forms - bastardization ## Related Forms - bastard - bastardy - bastardly ## Roots and Affixes - Root: bastard ## Etymology From bastard plus the verb suffix -ize; bastard is from Old French bastard, probably from bast ('packsaddle') plus -ard. ## AI Etymology bastardize comes from bastard plus the verb suffix -ize; bastard is from Old French bastard, probably from bast ('packsaddle') plus -ard. Morphologically, the word is transparent: -ize and -ard is attached to the older base named in the history, so the modern form packages an inherited or borrowed stem inside a later English derivative. In modern use, the verb sense is "to corrupt or debase by adding impure or inferior elements", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes related English forms such as bastard, bastardy, bastardly and derivatives such as bastardization, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. The principal historical forms in the chain include Old French bastard, which anchor the explanation in named linguistic material. ## Topics - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown