deteriorate
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc.
deteriorated
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past participleof deteriorate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof deteriorate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
deteriorateverb (used with or without object)to make or become worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc.
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.
Across the Atlantic in Africa, the situation deteriorated in the Congo basin, where rainforest loss reached 2.4 million hectares -- near the same level of deforestation as the Amazon for the first time.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
One measurement, known as T1rho, suggested that cartilage in the inner knee deteriorated more slowly among participants who changed their walking pattern.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
He was placed in isolation while his condition deteriorated.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The former long-haul truck driver said his health deteriorated so significantly while he was detained that, afterward, he could no longer pass the required physical assessment because of his vision and breathing issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
It was sad how the richer he got, the more his health deteriorated.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
