1
as in deterioration
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 & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposition
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to rot
to go through decomposition
the logs decayed on the rain forest floor the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decay
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
The simplest force that unifies the strong force with the electroweak force is the Georgi-Glashow model, which predicts proton decay on a timescale of around 1030 years, but the proton’s lifetime is already established to be at least 1034 years.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025
The schedule has continued to decay.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decay
Noun
Alongside neutrinos, radioactive decay produces isotopes that could enhance cancer diagnostics and imaging techniques.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
The simplest force that unifies the strong force with the electroweak force is the Georgi-Glashow model, which predicts proton decay on a timescale of around 1030 years, but the proton’s lifetime is already established to be at least 1034 years.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Though hostas can be pruned in spring, it’s not recommended since those decaying leaves can harbor pests and diseases over the winter and eventually kill the plant.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025
The schedule has continued to decay.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decay
Noun
-
Initial jobless claims indicate only a minimal pickup in layoffs and/or deterioration in labor conditions at present, a positive dynamic.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The largest member of the grass family, bamboo is combustible, susceptible to deterioration and weaker in rain, raising legitimate questions about its durability, Arup’s Ho said.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Citing a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, the outlet said that the victim was a female in a severe state of decomposition.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Authorities located a body in the front trunk of the Tesla that was in a state of decomposition, LAPD sources said.—
Alex Stone,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Check each tomato for pest damage or disease such as blossom end rot.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
-
It can also be used to describe the brain-rotting content itself.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In San Francisco, a development called Hunters View built in 1956 to provide temporary workforce housing was still inhabited and badly deteriorating by the early 2000s.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
But the relations have deteriorated significantly since the start of the war in Gaza, with Israeli officials voicing growing anger at Qatar, accusing the government of harboring Hamas and not putting enough pressure on it to agree to a ceasefire.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After a pause, the composition takes on a searching quality, as the melody travels from one instrument to the next, including a compelling viola solo performed by principal viola Maiya Papach, eventually fading out to nothing, leaving the audience suspended in uneasy quiet.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The long-standing expectation was that these resonance signals would fade and become negligible as the momentum transfer increased.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Those trades were made ahead of Friday’s big jobs report for August, which showed the labor market weakening.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Within 24 hours, the storm was expected to begin a slow weakening.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
O’Steen bludgeoned Marissa Grimes, dug a shallow grave for her under his house in west Fort Worth and for 10 days lived above where police later sawed open the floor to expose Grimes’ decomposing 135-pound body, prosecutors have argued that the evidence shows.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Two people discovered badly decomposed human remains while doing a walkthrough of a home for sale in Ohio, police told news outlets.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That this team won’t crumble in the face of adversity.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Decades of underinvestment have left the country with congested highways, crumbling bridges, crowded airports — and a disjointed passenger rail network that is underfunded and unreliable.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decay. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share