| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deteriorate; wear away |
| Synonyms: | abrade, bite, consume, corrode, crumble, destroy, disintegrate, eat, gnaw, grind down, scour, spoil, waste, wear down |
| Antonyms: | build, construct, fix, rebuild |
| Main Entry: | decaying |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | rotting |
| Synonyms: | breaking down, breaking up, collapsing, crumbling, decomposing, deteriorating, disintegrating, eroding, falling to pieces, oxidizing, rusting, spoiling, wasting away, wearing away |
| Main Entry: | grinding |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | abrasive |
| Synonyms: | bone-crushing, crumbling, crunching, crushing, disintegrating, eroding, granulating, grating, milling, powdering, pulverizing, rubbing, scraping, shivering, smashing |
| Main Entry: | ablate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wear away |
| Synonyms: | erode, evaporate, melt, vaporize |
| Main Entry: | abrade |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | scrape |
| Synonyms: | chafe, erode, grate, rub, rub off, scuff, triturate, wear, wear down |
| 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: | chafe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | rub, grind against |
| Synonyms: | abrade, bark, corrode, damage, erode, excoriate, gall, grate, graze, hurt, impair, inflame, irritate, peel, ruffle, scrape, scratch, skin, wear |
| Notes: | to chafe means to rub until sore or worn; to chaff means to tease good-naturedly |
| 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: | depreciate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | devalue, lose value |
| Synonyms: | abate, cheapen, decay, decrease, decry, deflate, depress, deteriorate, devalorize, diminish, downgrade, drop, dwindle, erode, fall, lessen, lower, mark down, reduce, soften, underrate, undervalue, worsen, write down, write off |
| Antonyms: | gain value, increase, overrate, raise, rate |