deteriorate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
to make or become worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc.
- Synonyms:
- worsen, decline, degenerate
-
to disintegrate or wear away.
verb
-
to make or become worse or lower in quality, value, character, etc; depreciate
-
(intr) to wear away or disintegrate
Other Word Forms
- deterioration noun
- deteriorative adjective
- undeteriorated adjective
- undeteriorative adjective
Etymology
Origin of deteriorate
First recorded in 1565–75; from Late Latin dēteriōrātus “made worse,” past participle of dēteriōrāre “to make worse,” from Latin dēterior “worse,” from dē de- + -ter-, element in adjectives relating to spatial orientation + -ior, comparative suffix; exterior, interior
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Job-market conditions for recent college graduates deteriorated at the end of last year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
From MarketWatch
Momentum is also deteriorating, and support at the 21-day exponential moving average has faded, a line that had provided consistent support since the April lows.
From Barron's
It’s unclear if any of the current leaders would possess the gravitas of Oseguera, who wielded unquestioned authority even as his health deteriorated and he was forced to live on the run.
From Los Angeles Times
The UN rights chief voiced alarm Friday at the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, calling for "urgent action" to avert a return to full-scale civil war.
From Barron's
Oxfam, which has also seen some of its staff detained by the Houthis, is calling for enhanced global action to address the "dire and rapidly deteriorating" humanitarian needs in the north.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
