to deteriorate
146
5.9
- verb
- /dɪˈtɪəriəˌreɪt/
:
deteriorarse
- Without proper maintenance, the building will deteriorate over time.
- deteriorating conditions
- deteriorating situation
- continue to deteriorate
That is how deteriorated our financial systems have become.
- That is how deteriorated our financial systems have become.
- You deteriorate, your mind deteriorates, your body deteriorates and you perish.
- A lot of people are allowing stress to destroy them and deteriorate them mentally and physically.
- Yeah, but our health span is deteriorating all the while.
- The same way that brain cancer physically deteriorates the brain until it kills somebody.
Examples
-
Yeah, but our health span is deteriorating all the while.
-
If anything, conditions in the state continue to deteriorate while the world looks on.
Academic text (2011) -
Oh how we deteriorate as we age.
-
Instead, we're just deteriorating across the board.
-
Living conditions for many have deteriorated in the last several decades of neoliberal policies.
Academic text (2008) -
His health is deteriorating, and the disease is progressing rapidly.
-
And we've seen increasing signs that President Biden may be deteriorating mentally.
-
Arabic language skills in everyday life have deteriorated, and Arabic has, in effect, ceased to be a spoken language.
Academic text (2011) -
You deteriorate, your mind deteriorates, your body deteriorates and you perish.
-
All this attests to the fact that things have deteriorated to a perilous point.
Fiction book (1994)
Synonyms
495
2.7
To become worse in quality or condition
390
2.5
To become more serious, often about health or a situation
105
3.2
Become weaker or less able over time
83
4.2
Gradually make someone's trust, belief, or support weaker over time
49
5.1
To make something worse in quality or value
37
3.9
To become worse over time in quality or condition
34
6.3
To become worse and lose order or control
32
2.1
Become unsafe to eat or use because it has spoiled
26
2.3
To get damaged or stop working after long use
22
5.6
Become slowly damaged by chemicals, for example when metal turns to rust
20
7.4
To become worse and more chaotic
17
4.1
To become bad or fail, for example a relationship
16
4.2
To slowly become weaker or fall apart because it is not cared for
15
5.3
To lose value, especially a country's money compared to other money
11
4.1
To become faded or stained
9
5.9
To lose value over time, especially money or assets
4
4.0
Start to break into pieces or stop working well
1
8.4
To fall into ruin or cause something to fall into ruin because it is not cared for
Less good in quality or condition
To become worse slowly in a calm, controlled way without sudden failure
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
deteriorate = deterior + ate
The segment 'deterior-' is a non-productive combining form and not a standalone English word, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning 'become worse' from familiar morphemes.
Etymology
Deteriorate comes from the Latin deterior, which meant 'worse'. So to deteriorate is to 'become worse' or to go down in quality, condition, or value.