deteriorating

American  

[dih-teer-ee-uh-rey-ting] / dɪˈtɪər i əˌreɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

1. becoming worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc..

   A deteriorating house, whatever the cause, will have an adverse effect on your real estate investment.

   Officials have warned of a deteriorating security situation in the disputed territory.

2. disintegrating or wearing away.

   If what you have underneath is fabric or fiberglass, I’d be concerned that deteriorating paint is letting ultraviolet rays do their worst to your aircraft.

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Other Word Forms

• undeteriorating adjective

Etymology

Origin of deteriorating

First recorded in 1680–90; deteriorate ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

O'Sullivan keeps himself fit by running, but it is harder to ward off other aspects of ageing, such as deteriorating eyesight, which Williams knows only too well.

From BBC

“This is consistent with our view that the Canadian economy is no longer deteriorating, but that the path forward will remain volatile,” Charles St-Arnaud, chief economist at credit union trade association Alberta Central.

From The Wall Street Journal

The central bank cut rates at its past two meetings because of worries about a deteriorating labor market, but the lack of critical employment data for October and November is sure to complicate its job.

From MarketWatch

It’s true that big tech companies are spending an eye-watering amount on AI development, raising concerns and comparisons to the dot-com bubble, when capital expenditures led to deteriorating free cash flow.

From Barron's

But a decision this serious may be owed in some part to his sense that Heritage’s commitments were already deteriorating during Mr. Roberts’s tenure.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• crummy
• decaying
• decrepit
• desolate
• dilapidated
• dingy
• pitiful
• ramshackle
• ratty
• rickety
• run down
• scruffy
• seedy
• shoddy
• squalid
• tacky
• tattered
• threadbare
• worn