To reduce or diminish something gradually in small steps or degrees; to lower by gradual stages.
From dis- + gradulate (from Latin gradus, 'step', with the diminutive suffix -ule, meaning 'small steps'). This creates a word meaning 'to undo by small gradations.'
This rare word suggests a slow erosion rather than sudden collapse—like watching someone's reputation crumble piece by piece, which is psychologically very different from a dramatic fall from grace.
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