deteriorate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
deteriorates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deteriorated,
past participle, past
-
deteriorating
present participle
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
deterioratesimple
-
deterioratessimple
-
have deterioratedperfect
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has deterioratedperfect
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am deterioratingprogressive
-
are deterioratingprogressive
-
is deterioratingprogressive
-
have been deterioratingperfect progressive
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has been deterioratingperfect progressive
Past
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deterioratedsimple
-
had deterioratedperfect
-
was deterioratingprogressive
-
were deterioratingprogressive
-
had been deterioratingperfect progressive
Future
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; cf. exterior, interior
Explanation
When something gets worse due to neglect or an unfortunate health problem, stuff starts to deteriorate — or fall apart. The word deteriorate describes anytime something gets worse. Due to neglect, a relationship can deteriorate but so can the American highway system. Sadly, there seems to be no end to applications for the word deteriorate. And, the truth is at a certain age we all start deteriorating too.
Vocabulary lists containing deteriorate
List 3
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Fidel Castro (1926-2016) Memorial List
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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.
See Examples For:
Bobker said it’s not a surprise that most major water agencies are rallying around these voluntary deals because it lets them continue largely “business-as-usual” operations while the ecosystem continues to deteriorate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
This is about how people express concern for young women whose bodies we’ve witnessed deteriorate on screen — and that they do at all.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
People whose livelihoods, traditions and cultural identities are closely tied to the ocean can experience significant emotional stress as familiar environments deteriorate.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
ANZ expects the first 25-basis-point rate hike to be delivered in December, though it could come sooner if economic conditions deteriorate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
As pressure builds inside the skull, motor and mental skills deteriorate with alarming speed—typically within a few hours or less— and often without the victim even noticing the change.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Viewers may scan a QR code for their own copy of the audio track, which deteriorates in sound quality with every download.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Scientists at Stanford University have uncovered a major clue to why the brain deteriorates with age.
From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026
These typically turn sharply higher when the labor market deteriorates, providing an early indication that trouble is coming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
He has also prepared a contingency exit plan if the situation deteriorates further.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
As her son’s condition deteriorates, Celia reluctantly cuts back on her revolutionary activities.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
"We have been put through hell for the past four months, and our physical and mental health have deteriorated in ways that might not be reversible for years," Tahmasebi wrote.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
How could basic operations on the Navy’s most highly valued and most vigorously maintained platform have deteriorated so badly?
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Its smartphone gross margin deteriorated to 8.5% from 11.5% due to higher prices of key components.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Despite intensive treatment for more than three weeks, her condition deteriorated in the days leading up to her death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Ebola virus destroyed an animal’s internal organs, and the carcass deteriorated abruptly after death.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Things look toughest for Hewlett Packard, where a third-quarter beat is already priced in and the fourth-quarter outlook may reflect deteriorating trends, the analysts write.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
She was sent home three weeks in after a supervisor observed her deteriorating physical condition, according to the suit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
And Richard Blumenthal, another Democratic senator, said there were "widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns" on the ship.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Some retirees get to a point where their health is deteriorating or they are reaching very advanced ages and they can more clearly see what will be left after they die.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
He lived alone in this deteriorating, blind building of a thousand uninhabited apartments, which like all its counterparts, fell, day by day, into greater entropic ruin.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
