deterioration

noun

de·​te·​ri·​o·​ra·​tion di-ˌtir-ē-ə-ˈrā-shən 

dē-

: the action or process of becoming impaired or inferior in quality, functioning, or condition : the state of having deteriorated

rust deterioration

the deterioration of academic standards

Synonyms

• weakening
• decay
• decline
• decaying

Choose the Right Synonym for deterioration

deterioration, degeneration, decadence, decline mean the falling from a higher to a lower level in quality, character, or vitality.

deterioration implies generally the impairment of value or usefulness.

the deterioration of the house through neglect

degeneration stresses physical, intellectual, or especially moral retrogression.

the degeneration of their youthful idealism into cynicism

decadence presupposes a reaching and passing the peak of development and implies a turn downward with a consequent loss in vitality or energy.

cited love of luxury as a sign of cultural decadence

decline differs from decadence in suggesting a more markedly downward direction and greater momentum as well as more obvious evidence of deterioration.

the meteoric decline of his career after the scandal

Examples of deterioration in a Sentence

the gradual deterioration of the weather

a deterioration of academic standards

Recent Examples on the Web

These ingredients reflect a growing shift in pet wellness away from simply slowing joint deterioration and toward rebuilding comfort, restoring flexibility, and reducing inflammation at the source. —Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

But the deployment of—among others—three destroyers, at least one submarine and an amphibious ready group (ARG) filled with Marines is a further deterioration in the poor relationship between Washington and Caracas that appears to have spooked Maduro. —Ellie Cook john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

When a mother tree is felled, the survival rate of many of its seedlings may be drastically reduced, a process not unlike the reciprocal feedback loop of Yggdrasill, whose deterioration in response to discord in the nine realms spells cosmic collapse. —Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025

The deterioration of family finances across broad swaths of society could eventually erode Milei's solid polling figures. —Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see deteriorate

First Known Use

circa 1658, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deterioration

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

Medical Definition

deterioration

noun

de·​te·​ri·​o·​ra·​tion di-ˌtir-ē-ə-ˈrā-shən 

: the action or process of deteriorating : the state of having deteriorated

personality deterioration

neurological deterioration