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
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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:
Furthermore, RBC noticed that labor-market indicators tended to deteriorate during major drawdowns but again, since the global financial crisis, these signals have generally been less susceptible to weakness.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
The property needs “immediate attention,” according to the filing, as it includes perishables that would deteriorate or lose value without attention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
"Without those efforts, the center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down," Justice Department attorney Brantley Mayers wrote.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
First, a supportive scaffold layer within the developing spine started to deteriorate.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
Newsome Park and the hundreds of neighborhoods like it around the country became increasingly volatile, desperate islands where housing, schooling, and every other state- supplied service were left to deteriorate.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
That would mean financial markets are effectively tightening conditions themselves while confidence in the policy response deteriorates.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
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
"Taeb's appointment also reflects the Iranian establishment's fear of renewed unrest as the economic situation deteriorates, with the Basij likely to play a leading role in quashing future protests," said Brodsky.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The results suggest that progression in chronic blood cancers may be biologically 'encoded' years before a patient's condition visibly deteriorates.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
Now, in the days and weeks after Vincent's death, his health deteriorates further.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Washington’s willingness to maintain freedom of the seas, unilaterally or with allies, has deteriorated in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
That appears unlikely, too, as relations between the two men have deteriorated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
On the journey back to London, his condition deteriorated to such an extent that a decision was taken to divert the team coach to a hospital in Nottingham so he could receive treatment.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Several thousand, however, have remained in Ceuta, where the situation has since deteriorated, leading to episodes of violence and almost daily demonstrations by the local population.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
During this period my health has steadily deteriorated, I’ve been dizzy for about the past two months now….
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Park advocates have long argued that the existing city allocation is inadequate, leaving neighborhoods with decaying recreation centers, deteriorating swimming pools and filthy park bathrooms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Instead of deteriorating our world, the real world will get people to reinvest in the real.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026
Outside his neighborhood, dozens of freshly painted jacks stand out along the roadside, their bright colors contrasting with the deteriorating streets nearby.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Xcel in December arguing that inspections in the weeks before the fire showed some of the poles were deteriorating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Alarmed at the deteriorating conditions, he called in the six-thousand-member Fourth Regiment of the Illinois Militia to bring things back under control.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
