pejoration
- noun
- /pɪˌdʒɔːreɪˈʃən/
:
deterioro
- The pejoration of the term has affected its use in modern language.
Examples
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Environmental neglect can lead to the pejoration of natural habitats.
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The pejoration of the city's infrastructure was evident after years without maintenance.
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Language sometimes undergoes pejoration, where words take on more negative meanings over time.
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Many words undergo pejoration over time.
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The pejoration of the term over the years has altered its original meaning.
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Many scholars believe that the pejoration of language reflects societal changes.
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The pejoration of the once-respected profession has led to widespread criticism.
Synonyms
43
5.9
A slow change when something like a building or a person's health becomes worse
33
6.8
The process of making land, water, or buildings worse over time
18
7.9
Slow loss of people or strength caused by continued pressure
9
4.8
A clear drop in how well something works or how much there is
1
4.2
A change where something becomes worse over time
Antonyms
How Bad
Surface Forms
Morphology
pejoration = pejorative (semi-transparent) = pejor + ation
Derived via the Latinate combining form 'pejor-' with '-ation'; the meaning 'becoming worse' is related to the root but the noun is somewhat formal and not built from a common English base morpheme.
Etymology
Pejoration is built from Latin pejor 'worse' and the ending -ation, so it literally means 'the process of getting worse'. That's why people use pejoration to talk about things like quality, condition, or reputation becoming worse.