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decay

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of decay

1 a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body

  • middle-aged people who fervently hope that daily exercise will arrest the physical decay that usually accompanies advancing age
Synonyms of decay

debilitation, decaying, declension, decline, degeneration, descent, deterioration, ebbing, enfeeblement, weakening
Words Related to decay

atrophy

exhaustion

drooping, flagging, limping

regression, relapse, setback
Near Antonyms of decay

invigoration, strengthening

progress

rejuvenation, rejuvenescence
Antonyms of decay

comeback, improvement, rally, recovery, recuperation, rehabilitation, revitalization, snapback

2 the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances

  • the cycle by which the decay of dead plants on the forest floor provides soil and nutrients for the next generation of plants
Synonyms of decay

breakdown, corruption, decomposition, festering, putrefaction, putrescence, rot, spoilage
Words Related to decay

crumbling, disintegration, dissolution

curdling, fermentation, moldering, souring
Near Antonyms of decay

growth, maturation, ripening

decay

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms 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 of decay

break down, corrupt, decompose, disintegrate, fester, foul, mold, molder, perish [chiefly British], putrefy, rot, spoil
Words Related to decay

sour, turn, turn off [British]

contaminate, defile, pollute, taint

addle, curdle, ferment

mortify

rust

crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, dilapidate, sink, wither
Phrases Synonymous with decay

fall apart, go to seed (or run to seed)
Near Antonyms of decay

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 restaurantʼs standards for food and service had decayed over the years
Synonyms of decay

atrophy, crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, devolve, ebb, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, worsen
Words Related to decay

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
Phrases Synonymous with decay

go to pot, go to seed (or run to seed)
Near Antonyms of decay

better, upgrade

enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen

advance, develop, march, proceed, progress
Antonyms of decay

ameliorate, improve, meliorate

3 to lose bodily strength or vigor

  • having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying
Synonyms of decay

droop, emaciate, fade, fail, flag, go, lag, languish, sag, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither
Words Related to decay

break down, wear out

yield

degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run down
Near Antonyms of decay

convalesce, rally, rebound, recover, recuperate

gain

Synonym Discussion of decay

decay, decompose, rot, putrefy, spoil mean to undergo destructive dissolution. decay implies a slow change from a state of soundness or perfection.
    • a decaying mansion
decompose stresses a breaking down by chemical change and when applied to organic matter a corruption.
    • the strong odor of decomposing vegetation
rot is a close synonym of decompose and often connotes foulness.
    • fruit was left to rot in warehouses
putrefy implies the rotting of animal matter and offensiveness to sight and smell.
    • corpses putrefying on the battlefield
spoil applies chiefly to the decomposition of foods.
    • keep the ham from spoiling

Learn More about decay

  1. See words that rhyme with decay Dictionary: Definition of decay Medical Dictionary: Definition of decay Spanish Central: Translation of decay Nglish: Translation of decay for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of decay for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about decay

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