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.
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Recent Examples of decaying
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Scott Travis,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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
Protect your home by removing decaying wood, controlling moisture, and cleaning gutters and overgrowth.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
Many windows are shattered or boarded over with decaying plywood.
—
Susan Svrluga,
Washington Post,
24 June 2026
The artist’s sculptures feature gothic and esoteric aesthetics, with some even incorporating decaying animal parts à la Damien Hirst.
—
Douglas Markowitz,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Nutrient inputs include decaying leaf litter and bird excrement that are deposited in the pool directly, along with fertilizer runoff and sewage, which enters the Potomac River and the Tidal Basin.
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 June 2026
Keep your ferns tidy by cutting back old, decaying growth.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
22 June 2026
It’s called a screwworm because, unlike many fly larvae that feed on dead or decaying flesh, New World screwworm larvae screw into the flesh of warm-blooded animals to feed.
—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
22 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
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
Protect your home by removing decaying wood, controlling moisture, and cleaning gutters and overgrowth.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
Many windows are shattered or boarded over with decaying plywood.
—
Susan Svrluga,
Washington Post,
24 June 2026
The artist’s sculptures feature gothic and esoteric aesthetics, with some even incorporating decaying animal parts à la Damien Hirst.
—
Douglas Markowitz,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Nutrient inputs include decaying leaf litter and bird excrement that are deposited in the pool directly, along with fertilizer runoff and sewage, which enters the Potomac River and the Tidal Basin.
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 June 2026
Keep your ferns tidy by cutting back old, decaying growth.
—
Sj McShane,
Martha Stewart,
22 June 2026
It’s called a screwworm because, unlike many fly larvae that feed on dead or decaying flesh, New World screwworm larvae screw into the flesh of warm-blooded animals to feed.
—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
22 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
-
Police soon descended on the family's Massapequa Park home, the only ramshackle house in an otherwise upscale suburban neighborhood about 35 miles east of New York City.
-
After Goldberg’s death, a friend, Henry Gifford, reluctantly stepped in to the role of executor and found the place in ramshackle condition.
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
-
Clogged Drains On the other hand, a smelly drain that gets frequent use may have a clog or decomposing matter in the pipes.
-
Officials warned that decomposing fish could create potential health hazards for visitors entering the area or attempting to fish.
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
-
Their self-cleaning nature means blooms drop naturally after fading, eliminating tedious deadheading.
-
Halsey and her fans’ outrage over an old album review is showing no signs of fading.
Noun
-
The decay rate will increase as the spacecraft dips into denser layers of the atmosphere until Swift finally burns up during reentry.
-
The Dirty Beaches founder’s own saxophone and trumpet lead the players’ cut-and-pasted recordings down dark alleys of decay and introspection, backdropped by percussive bangs and scrapes that suggest the construction of some great, mysterious superstructure.
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 27 Jun. 2026.
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