deteriorate

Main Entry:
deteriorate [dih-teer-ee-uh-reyt]
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: decay, degenerate
Synonyms: adulterate, alloy, be worse for wear, become worse, break, corrode, corrupt, crumble, debase, debilitate, decline, decompose, degrade, deprave, depreciate, descend, disimprove, disintegrate, ebb, fade, fail, fall apart, flag, go downhill, go to pieces, go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, impair, injure, languish, lapse, lessen, lose it, lose quality, lower, mar, pervert, regress, retrograde, retrogress, rot, sink, skid, slide, spoil, undermine, vitiate, weaken, wear away, worsen
Notes: to degenerate means 'to decline in value, move lower on a scale' but to deteriorate means 'to worsen, to become lowered, or be reduced in value'; degenerate pertains more to character and virtue while deteriorate is more about loss of strength or vitality
Antonyms: build, construct, develop, get better, improve
Main Entry: age
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: become older
Synonyms: decline, deteriorate, develop, get along, grow, grow feeble, grow old, grow up, mature, mellow, push, put mileage on, ripen, wane
Notes: epoch applies to the beginning of a new period marked by radical changes and new developments - while era applies to the entire period; age denotes a period identified with some dominant personality or characteristic and period pertains to any portion of time
Main Entry: bite
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: corrode, eat away
Synonyms: burn, consume, decay, decompose, deteriorate, dissolve, eat into, engrave, erode, etch, oxidize, rot, rust, scour, sear, slash, smart, sting, tingle, wear away
Main Entry: come down
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: worsen
Synonyms: decline, decrease, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, fail, fall, go downhill, reduce, suffer
Antonyms: boost, improve
Main Entry: corrode
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: wear away; eat away
Synonyms: bite, canker, consume, corrupt, destroy, deteriorate, erode, gnaw, impair, oxidize, rot, rust, scour, waste
Antonyms: aid, build, fortify, help
Main Entry: crack up
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: break down mentally
Synonyms: become demented, become psychotic, blow a fuse, collapse, come apart at seams, decline, derange, deteriorate, fail, flip out, freak out, go bonkers, go crazy, go nuts, go off deep end, go off rocker, go out of mind, go to pieces, have breakdown, schizz out, sicken
Antonyms: be calm
Main Entry: crumble
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: break or fall into pieces
Synonyms: break up, collapse, crumb, crush, decay, decompose, degenerate, deteriorate, disintegrate, dissolve, fragment, go to pieces, granulate, grind, molder, perish, powder, pulverize, putrefy, triturate, tumble
Antonyms: build, put together
Main Entry: decline
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: lessen, become less
Synonyms: abate, backslide, cheapen, decay, decrease, degenerate, depreciate, deteriorate, diminish, disimprove, disintegrate, droop, drop, dwindle, ebb, fade, fail, fall, fall off, flag, go downhill, go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, languish, lapse, lose value, lower, pine, recede, relapse, retrograde, return, revert, rot, sag, settle, shrink, sink, slide, subside, wane, weaken, worsen
Notes: one declines (or accepts) something that is offered; one refuses (or agrees) to accept something offered
Antonyms: improve, increase, rise
Main Entry: decrease
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: grow less or make less
Synonyms: abate, calm down, check, contract, crumble, curb, curtail, cut down, decay, decline, degenerate, depreciate, deteriorate, devaluate, die down, diminish, droop, drop, drop off, dry up, dwindle, ease, ebb, evaporate, fade, fall off, lessen, let up, lighten, lose edge, lower, modify, narrow down, peter out, quell, quiet, reduce, restrain, run low, settle, shrink, shrivel, sink, slack off, slacken, slash, slow down, slump, soften, subside, tail off, wane, waste, weaken, wear away, wear down, wither
Antonyms: add, develop, enlarge, expand, grow, increase, raise
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