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deteriorate

Pronunciation:  di'teeruu`reyt

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Matching Terms:  deteriorating, deterioration

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [v]  grow worse; "Her condition deteriorated"
  2. [v]  become worse or disintegrate; "His mind deteriorated"
 
 Synonyms: degenerate, drop
 
 Antonyms: convalesce, recover, recuperate
 
 See Also: crumble, decay, decline, delapidate, fade, fatigue, jade, languish, pall, rot, tire, waste, wear, wear off, wear out, wear thin, weary, worsen

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \De*te"ri*o*rate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p.
    {Deteriorated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Deteriorating}.] [L.
    deterioratus, p. p. of deteriorate to deteriorate, fr.
    deterior worse, prob. a comparative fr. de down, away.]
    To make worse; to make inferior in quality or value; to
    impair; as, to deteriorate the mind. --Whately.
    
          The art of war . . . was greatly deteriorated.
                                                   --Southey.
    
    
    
    
  2. \De*te"ri*o*rate\, v. i.
    To grow worse; to be impaired in quality; to degenerate.
    
          Under such conditions, the mind rapidly deteriorates.
                                                   --Goldsmith.
    
    
 
Thesaurus Terms
 
 Related Terms: agent provocateur, aggravate, alter, ameliorate, amplify, annoy, augment, be changed, be converted into, be renewed, bottom out, break, build up, change, checker, chop, chop and change, come about, come around, come down, come round, crumble, damage, debilitate, decay, decline, decompose, deepen, degenerate, degrade, depreciate, descend, deviate, dilapidate, disimprove, disintegrate, diverge, diversify, embitter, endamage, enhance, enlarge, erode, exacerbate, exasperate, fade, fall back, flag, flop, get worse, go downhill, go to pot, grow worse, harm, haul around, have a comedown, heat up, heighten, hit rock bottom, hot up, hurt, impair, improve, increase, injure, intensify, irritate, jibe, languish, lessen, let down, magnify, make acute, make worse, mar, meliorate, mitigate, modulate, mutate, provoke, put back, reach the depths, regress, relapse, retrograde, retrogress, revive, rot, sharpen, shift, sicken, sink, slacken, slide, slip, slip back, sour, spoil, swerve, tack, take a turn, touch bottom, turn, turn aside, turn into, turn the corner, undergo a change, undermine, vary, veer, warp, weaken, worsen
 

 

 

 

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