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 rotting
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
1
as in ramshackle
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in dying
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decaying
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
On Earth, Vivianite is found in sediments, peat bogs and around decaying organic matter, while some forms of microbial life can produce greigite.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Eventually, these movements overwhelmed what was left of a decaying state.
—Celeste A. Wallander, Foreign Affairs, 9 Sep. 2025
Their decaying carcasses led to the rapid deterioration of water quality and an explosion of harmful bacteria, researchers said.
—Lauren Liebhaber
september 5, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
The film is set within a decaying Khmer Rouge–era tenement in Phnom Penh.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Twenty-seven years later, its pages are vanilla-sweet, from the decaying lignin; the imprint was long ago absorbed into another.
—Carmen Maria MacHado, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
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
These gorgeous gourds can stay out all season long without decaying.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
On Earth, vivianite is frequently found in peat bogs and around decaying organic matter—another item on the microbes’ menu.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
On Earth, Vivianite is found in sediments, peat bogs and around decaying organic matter, while some forms of microbial life can produce greigite.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Eventually, these movements overwhelmed what was left of a decaying state.
—Celeste A. Wallander, Foreign Affairs, 9 Sep. 2025
Their decaying carcasses led to the rapid deterioration of water quality and an explosion of harmful bacteria, researchers said.
—Lauren Liebhaber
september 5, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
The film is set within a decaying Khmer Rouge–era tenement in Phnom Penh.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Twenty-seven years later, its pages are vanilla-sweet, from the decaying lignin; the imprint was long ago absorbed into another.
—Carmen Maria MacHado, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
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
These gorgeous gourds can stay out all season long without decaying.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decaying
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
Verb
-
Buy fresh-looking pumpkins without blemishes, soft spots, or rotting stems.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
-
It can also be used to describe the brain-rotting content itself.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By 6 months old, Luka was in end-stage liver failure, and his condition was deteriorating rapidly.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Nvidia’s price momo is deteriorating, slowly, according to the look here.—
John Navin,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This revealed that, even as the X-ray emissions of 4U 1630-472 were fading, the system was still ejecting material at an incredible 20 million mph (32 million kph) — about 3% the speed of light, and 15,000 times faster than the top speed of an F-16 jet fighter!—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
All of these weaknesses are either gone or fading fast.—
Michael Foster,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Extra-Terrestrial, but technology — as Spielberg frames it through Elliott’s eyes — is a kind of ramshackle magic that offers the promise of love and transcendence.—
Jeremy Dauber,
HollywoodReporter,
31 July 2025
-
On a May morning in 2012, a ramshackle walkway at a Southeast Austin apartment complex collapsed.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Noun
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To determine if a root canal is needed, dentists conduct a thorough exam, often with X-rays, to evaluate decay, damage and the tooth’s internal condition.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Its alignment with figures like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un symbolizes the isolation and reputational decay of a regime that relies on coercion rather than consent.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes higher levels could mean more decomposing vegetation, not animal feces.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Investigators found 189 decomposing bodies stored at room temperature at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose in 2023 and charged owners Jon and Carie Hallford with abuse of a corpse, theft and forgery.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The film got some of the best reviews at Sundance in January, then went to Berlin, where Rose Byrne got that festival’s Best Actress prize for her role as a mother who’s crumbling under the pressure of (among other things) a sick kid and a flooded apartment.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The catalyst for this a meeting with the school’s board — who look more like trustafarian hedge managers than social workers — where it is revealed that the grand but crumbling school building is going to be sold off at the end of the year.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decaying. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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