SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
deteriorate
verb
To decline gradually in condition, quality, or effectiveness.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Become worse
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topCrumble and disrepair fit some physical settings; deteriorate covers quality and effectiveness as well.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See deteriorate in use
Without regular maintenance, even a sturdy footbridge can deteriorate.
When a local camera club became defunct, its old meeting room remained full of albums and display cases. Without regular upkeep, several cases began to deteriorate, their loose joints making them less stable each season.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license