deteriorate
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc.
have deteriorated
-
present perfectof deteriorate.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Her own finances have deteriorated amid the economic pressures of the war.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 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
"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
Relations between the U.S. and Oman have deteriorated in recent months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Grant that they have made but little improvement from century to century; it is something not to have deteriorated.
From Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men, and by Experience in All Ages Including a System of Vegetable Cookery by William A. (William Andrus) Alcott
