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 debilitation, decline, decaying, declension, degeneration, descent, deterioration, ebbing, enfeeblement, weakeningRelated Words atrophy; exhaustion; drooping, flagging, limping; regression, relapse, setbackNear Antonyms invigoration, strengthening; progress; rejuvenation, rejuvenescenceAntonyms 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 breakdown, corruption, decomposition, festering, putrefaction, putrescence, rot, spoilageRelated Words crumbling, disintegration, dissolution; curdling, fermentation, moldering, souringNear Antonyms growth, maturation, ripening

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, deteriorate, decline, degenerate, descend, devolve, ebb, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, worsenRelated 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, wiltNear Antonyms better, upgrade; enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen; advance, develop, march, proceed, progressAntonyms ameliorate, improve, meliorate

3 to lose bodily strength or vigor having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying Synonyms weaken, droop, emaciate, fade, fail, flag, go, lag, languish, sag, sink, waste (away), wilt, witherRelated Words break down, wear out; yield; degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run downNear Antonyms convalesce, rally, rebound, recover, recuperate; gain