deteriorating
Americanadjective
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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.
-
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.
Other Word Forms
- undeteriorating adjective
Etymology
Origin of deteriorating
First recorded in 1680–90; deteriorate ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
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.
The New York Times interviewed doctors there and reported last week that “rapidly deteriorating conditions at hospitals and clinics across Cuba were causing deaths that would otherwise be preventable.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
The SocGen team recommended investors prepare for deteriorating market conditions by building protection in credit-default swaps.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
In place of Soldier Field’s deteriorating confines, they sought to build a state-of-the-art indoor stadium that could host Super Bowls, concerts and major events year-round.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
With growth solid and hiring no longer deteriorating, officials agreed they could afford to wait.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
The photo-cell banks were deteriorating more rapidly than had seemed likely.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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.
