deteriorate
/dɪˈtɪərɪəreɪt
/verb [no object]
Become progressively worse: relations between the countries had deteriorated sharply (as adjective deteriorating) deteriorating economic conditions...
- Indeed, as far as the railways are concerned, they are far worse and set to deteriorate further in the short term.
- There is growing unrest in Hong Kong over deteriorating economic and social conditions.
- If bond prices rise, it could imply that experts reckon economic conditions are deteriorating.
Synonyms
worsen, get worse, decline, be in decline, degenerate, decay;
collapse, fail, fall, drop, sink, slump, slip, slide, go downhill, go backwards, go to rack and ruin, stagnate, wane, ebb
informal go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, go down the toilet, go down the tubes
Australian/New Zealand informal go to the pack
rare retrograde
decay, degrade, degenerate, break down, decompose, rot, putrefy, go bad, go off, spoil, perish;
wither, atrophy, weaken, fade, break up, disintegrate, become dilapidated, crumble, fall down, collapse, fall apart, fall to pieces
archaic corrupt
Derivatives
deteriorative
- According to Hillman as well as Hillman and Ursprung, liberalization has a deteriorative effect on economic performance until a cultural adaptation takes place.
- Molecular mobility within preserved biological materials provides a first approximation of the rate of deteriorative reactions that ultimately affect shelf-life.
- In a seminal article, Leopold defined senescence in plant cells, along the lines previously proposed by Medawar, as ‘the deteriorative processes that are natural causes of death’.
Origin
Late 16th century (in the sense 'make worse'): from late Latin deteriorat- 'worsened', from the verb deteriorare, from Latin deterior 'worse'.