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
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decaying
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
Big Think, 30 Jan. 2026
In its native environment, the black locust can be a boon, providing edible, fragrant flowers and slow-decaying wood for fence posts or decking.
—Jennifer Lobb, Martha Stewart, 30 Jan. 2026
This is the telltale signature of Δ resonances decaying into pion-nucleon pairs that then coalesce into deuterons.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
These critters typically live outside, feeding on fungi, pollen, algae or decaying organic matter, often on or in the soil, according to the University of Minnesota.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
There might exist, for instance, an unstable type of dark matter particle that leaves its mark by occasionally arising and immediately decaying into an excessive number of muon-antimuon pairs.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2026
Compared to his Mancunian peers, whose output conjured images of decaying industrial plants and mutant discos, this new Durutti Column suggested the domestic.
—Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
The new coach of the Miami Dolphins played his college football at Siena, with home games before small crowds at what was a decaying minor-league baseball field in a suburb of Albany, New York.
—CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Springtails eat microscopic algae, bacteria, fungi or other decaying plant matter, according to MSU's Plant and Pest Diagnostics.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Jan. 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
Verb
The only viable explanation is that an even higher-energy particle — a more stable one — must have struck the upper atmosphere of the Earth and produced a particle shower, where those decaying particles led to the presence of these muons.
—Big Think, 30 Jan. 2026
In its native environment, the black locust can be a boon, providing edible, fragrant flowers and slow-decaying wood for fence posts or decking.
—Jennifer Lobb, Martha Stewart, 30 Jan. 2026
This is the telltale signature of Δ resonances decaying into pion-nucleon pairs that then coalesce into deuterons.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
These critters typically live outside, feeding on fungi, pollen, algae or decaying organic matter, often on or in the soil, according to the University of Minnesota.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
There might exist, for instance, an unstable type of dark matter particle that leaves its mark by occasionally arising and immediately decaying into an excessive number of muon-antimuon pairs.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2026
Compared to his Mancunian peers, whose output conjured images of decaying industrial plants and mutant discos, this new Durutti Column suggested the domestic.
—Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
The new coach of the Miami Dolphins played his college football at Siena, with home games before small crowds at what was a decaying minor-league baseball field in a suburb of Albany, New York.
—CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Springtails eat microscopic algae, bacteria, fungi or other decaying plant matter, according to MSU's Plant and Pest Diagnostics.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decaying
Noun
-
Cleaning Products And Chemicals Paint, fertilizer, weed killer, pool cleaners, and other temperature-sensitive chemicals should be brought indoors for the winter to prevent freezing and deterioration.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Motorists traveling across the area this morning, including along I-85 and I-77 through Charlotte metro and vicinity, should be prepared for sudden deterioration in visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Mike Buckley designed the scenery, which includes the ramshackle cabin and children’s swing in Bountiful.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
So now, the ramshackle Coinjock School sits in the restaurant’s backyard and his plan for restoration keeps getting more ambitious with each passing year.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In desert regions, natural mummification is common due to the dry conditions where fungi and bacteria can’t thrive on a decomposing corpse.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
15 Jan. 2026
-
In town, the painter also notes the reek of decomposing bodies, of garbage, of blood streaming out of the butcher shop.—
Amir Ahmadi Arian,
The Dial,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cruz was responding to another post from Tehran Bureau, which cited a source inside Iran detailing what was described as a rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground as security forces continued to crack down on demonstrations.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The Plough’s garden furniture is deteriorating, and an antique sign visible in the Cameron-Xi event is absent.—
Brendan Murray,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Data Privacy Week is one of those calendar moments that risks fading into the background.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The oil’s powerhouse formula has a number of benefits, including brightening skin and fading age spots.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the steppe everything crumbles and decays.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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However, a crack can expose a tree to fungal infection or decay, which could lead to the tree dying.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The result was a gleaming skyscraper held up by some rickety wooden boards, duct tape, and magic.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
14 Nov. 2025
-
Everything looks so rickety — this stadium wasn’t built for pandemonium like this.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decaying. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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