To determine the degree of the polynomial \( f(x) \) defined by
\[ f(x) = -2x^7 + 10x^4 - 4x^6 - 9x^3 - 4x^5, \]
you correctly rearranged it into standard form, which is:
\[ f(x) = -2x^7 - 4x^6 - 4x^5 + 10x^4 - 9x^3. \]
The degree of a polynomial is defined as the highest power of \( x \) in the polynomial.
In this case, the term with the highest exponent is \( -2x^7 \), where the exponent is \( 7 \).
Therefore, the degree of the polynomial \( f(x) \) is:
Degree: 7