corrupt
verbEtymology From Middle English corrupten, derived from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpō (“to destroy, ruin, injure, spoil, corrupt, bribe”), from com- (“together”) + rumpō (“to break in pieces”).
1
To make corrupt; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert.
- Don't you dare corrupt my son with those disgusting pictures!
- And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 6:12:
2 more examples
- I think that there is a bad idea around in our world, and that idea is that 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. I think what really happens is that power attracts the corruptible.1985 April 17, Frank Herbert, 34:18 from the start, in Frank Herbert speaking at UCLA 4/17/1985, UCLACommStudies, archived from the original on 10 Feb 2017:
- George Soros remains a favorite target of conservative conspiracy theorists, seeing his corrupting influence behind every liberal movement and within every nook and cranny.2020 November 18, Brian Lowry, “‘Soros’ looks at the life and activism of the right’s favorite bogeyman”, in CNN:
2
Archaic To become putrid, tainted, or otherwise impure; to putrefy; to rot.
- he entrails, which are the parts aptest to corrupt1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “VIII. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
- […] Lanfrank takes Notice of Tract. 3. Doct. 3. cap. 18. ſaying, "I have ſeen many who being full of Humours, have made an Iſſue under the Knee, before due Purgation had been premis'd; whence, by reaſon of the too great Defluxion of Humours, the Legs tumified, ſo that the cauterized Place corrupted, and a Cancer (or rather cacoethic Ulcer) was thereby made, with which great Difficulty was cur'd."1732, George Smith, Institutiones Chirurgicæ: or, Principles of Surgery, … To which is Annexed, a Chirurgical Dispensatory, …, London: Printed [by William Bowyer] for Henry Lintot, at the Cross-Keys against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, →OCLC, page 254:
3
To introduce errors; to place into an invalid state.
- Unplugging a flash drive without dismounting it first can corrupt the data stored on the drive.
4
To debase or make impure by alterations or additions; to falsify.
- to corrupt language, or a holy text
- to corrupt a book
5
To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless.
- Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 6:19:
- Derived terms
- corruptable, corruptee, corruptful, corruptingly, corruptive, corruptor, noncorrupting, recorrupt, uncorrupting
- Related terms
- corruptible, corruption, incorruptible