as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the decaying of the bone mass that is so regrettably common in elderly women
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ramshackle
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in dying
Related Words
1
as in decomposing
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 deteriorating
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 fading
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 decaying
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Scott Travis,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
Soak in the mineral-rich waters of nearby Travertine Hot Springs and observe a decaying mining town at Bodie State Historic Park.
—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 July 2026
Like Perseverance and Curiosity, the test rover is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), which converts heat from naturally decaying radioactive material into electricity.
—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
30 June 2026
Phorid flies lay their eggs in decaying organic matter and thrive in places where moisture is present.
—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
28 June 2026
Little filth flies such as drain flies breed in sludge and decaying matter that can build up in drain pipes, says Oi.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
Much of the movie involves Krypto, including flashbacks to their first meeting on the decaying Krypton and traveling to Earth together.
—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 June 2026
Despite thriving in shallow, weedy, mucky areas, snakeheads do not gravitate to decaying forage.
—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
25 June 2026
Many windows are shattered or boarded over with decaying plywood.
—
Susan Svrluga,
Washington Post,
24 June 2026
Noun
For the study, Ruotsalainen measured the Q values of two double-beta decaying and one beta-decaying nucleus.
—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The district also could be in for other major changes in the coming years, including the opening of a few new schools to replace multiple decaying, underenrolled schools.
—
Scott Travis,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
Larger flies, like houseflies, are after decaying matter such as food waste and pet droppings.
—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
Soak in the mineral-rich waters of nearby Travertine Hot Springs and observe a decaying mining town at Bodie State Historic Park.
—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 July 2026
Like Perseverance and Curiosity, the test rover is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), which converts heat from naturally decaying radioactive material into electricity.
—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
30 June 2026
Phorid flies lay their eggs in decaying organic matter and thrive in places where moisture is present.
—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
28 June 2026
Little filth flies such as drain flies breed in sludge and decaying matter that can build up in drain pipes, says Oi.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
Much of the movie involves Krypto, including flashbacks to their first meeting on the decaying Krypton and traveling to Earth together.
—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 June 2026
Despite thriving in shallow, weedy, mucky areas, snakeheads do not gravitate to decaying forage.
—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
25 June 2026
Many windows are shattered or boarded over with decaying plywood.
—
Susan Svrluga,
Washington Post,
24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decaying
Noun
-
The National Institute of Standards and Technology said long-term corrosion and the failure of multiple slab-to-column connections likely contributed to a progressive collapse after weeks of structural deterioration.
-
Heston is at his most gleefully cynical as Robert Thorn, a police detective who lives and works in a New York City decimated by environmental deterioration and dwindling resources.
Adjective
-
The ramshackle cowpunk of breakthrough album Sidelong is a distant memory now, its rawness and distortion swapped for clarity and precision.
-
On the other hand, Dunaway and her tart-talking sidekick, Brenda Vaccaro, seem to be having the time of their lives as mistresses of the shades of darkness (their ramshackle abode is a funhouse Ghost Train ride festooned with skeletons, spiders and tattered netting).
Adjective
-
What’s the vibe for you, post-dying?
-
Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.
Verb
-
The Yolo County Central Landfill will build a new system that will convert methane from decomposing waste into renewable natural gas, the county announced Tuesday.
-
The ocean becomes a creamy expanse splotched with brown mats of decomposing algae, according to photos shared by Abrams.
Verb
-
That enables Cadence’s system, which is supervised by physicians, to alert a clinician when a patient is deteriorating before a stroke or heart attack, for example.
-
By the time the kids make it to the Gullet, the situation is deteriorating.
Verb
-
More than a week after the disaster, search-and-rescue operations remain active, though hopes of finding additional survivors are rapidly fading.
-
Thousands remain missing more than a week after the twin earthquakes struck Venezuela and hope for finding survivors is fading into and effort to recover remains.
Noun
-
At age 11, my favorite Broadway show was Follies – a classic preteen tale about the decay of female beauty and fading fame within an unscrupulous industry of vaudeville and burlesque.
-
Their fix is to let the same model that does the reasoning also curate the knowledge, stored as human-readable notes and organized hierarchically with provenance and a lifecycle so stale plays decay rather than calcify.
Adjective
-
For years, many of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority have embarked on rickety wooden boats to try to reach neighbouring countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, in a bid to flee persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
-
Your sunnies should be comfortable and durable, not rickety!
Cite this Entry
“Decaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decaying. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
