decay

decay

verb

Definition of DECAY

1

to go through decomposition <the logs decayed on the rain forest floor> <the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber>

Synonyms break down, corrupt, decompose, disintegrate, fester, foul, mold, molder, perish [chiefly British], putrefy, rot, spoil

Related Words sour, turn, turn off [British]; contaminate, defile, pollute, taint; addle, curdle, ferment; mortify; rust; crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, dilapidate, sink, wither

Phrases fall apart, go to seed (or run to seed)

Near Antonyms age, develop, grow, mature, ripen; refresh, renew, restore; cleanse, purify; assemble, compose, integrate; ameliorate, better, improve, meliorate

2

to become worse or of less value <the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years>

Synonyms atrophy, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, descend, devolve, ebb, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, worsen

Related Words abate, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, recede, wane; break down, corrupt, decompose, degrade, dilapidate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy; sour, spoil; lessen, lower, reduce; debilitate, undermine; droop, fail, fall, flag, lag, languish, run down, sag, slip, waste (away), weaken, wilt

Near Antonyms better, upgrade; enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen; advance, develop, march, proceed, progress

Antonyms ameliorate, improve, meliorate

3

to lose bodily strength or vigor <having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying>

Synonyms decay, droop, emaciate, fade, fail, flag, go, lag, languish, sag, sink, waste (away), wilt, wither

Related Words break down, wear out; yield; degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run down

Near Antonyms convalesce, rally, rebound, recover, recuperate; gain