deteriorate
Formsdeteriorates, deteriorating, deteriorated
- 1To slowly become worse in condition or quality.
Like a sandcastle slowly falling apart as the waves wash over it.
The empty house began to deteriorate after no one lived in it.
Her health slowly deteriorated over the winter months.
Similarworsen, decline, degenerate, decay, sour
Oppositeimprove, recover, rally, strengthen
- 2To make something worse or lower in quality.
Like leaving a metal tool out in the rain until rust eats away at it.
Too much sun can deteriorate the paint on a car.
Years of neglect deteriorated the building's outer walls.
Similarimpair, degrade, damage, weaken, worsen
Oppositeimprove, enhance, strengthen, restore
Use it in a sentence
Write your own sentence with deteriorate, and AI will tell you whether it fits and which meaning you used.
Origin
It comes from Late Latin "dēteriorō", based on Latin "dēterior" meaning "worse".