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
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Recent Examples of decaying
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
During a collision, gas clouds could be thrown down toward each galaxy’s center and ultimately fall into decaying orbits around each awaiting black hole, forming huge disks there that would become extremely hot and potentially extremely bright.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
Inspect the area around your home and yard for decaying wood.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2026
The problem is worsened by thatch since fungi feed on decaying plant matter.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
The band was born in Jamestown, a decaying manufacturing center in far Western New York.
—Dan Kois, Pitchfork, 17 May 2026
Working with the title designer Teddy Blanks, Harris found a textural font — one that embodied decaying paint and burns — to do the job.
—Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
Irwin at first scoffs at the idea that the decaying industrial area could ever be gentrified.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Indoor plants won’t always attract earwigs, but decaying plant matter or mold in the soil, issues that are common with over watering, will.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 15 May 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 woman, her husband, Peter Temple, and the couple's 12 children, ages five to 17, were able to spend time at home with Pandora before her funeral thanks to a cooling bassinet, a medical device that preserves a baby's body and slows the decaying process through cold temperatures.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
During a collision, gas clouds could be thrown down toward each galaxy’s center and ultimately fall into decaying orbits around each awaiting black hole, forming huge disks there that would become extremely hot and potentially extremely bright.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
Inspect the area around your home and yard for decaying wood.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2026
The problem is worsened by thatch since fungi feed on decaying plant matter.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
The band was born in Jamestown, a decaying manufacturing center in far Western New York.
—Dan Kois, Pitchfork, 17 May 2026
Working with the title designer Teddy Blanks, Harris found a textural font — one that embodied decaying paint and burns — to do the job.
—Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
Irwin at first scoffs at the idea that the decaying industrial area could ever be gentrified.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Indoor plants won’t always attract earwigs, but decaying plant matter or mold in the soil, issues that are common with over watering, will.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decaying
Noun
-
Prolonged vacancy has caused structural deterioration and the historic Centennial Hill neighborhood surrounding it faces pressure from development.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
-
Long vacant, the building suffers from structural deterioration.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Easy Company found themselves in a ramshackle compound, cut off and heavily outnumbered by the Taliban in the town.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
The entire thing is a beautifully chaotic blank canvas for Sacramento’s music community to collaborate and mishmash within itself, to forge a platoon of one-off troupes and ramshackle supergroups — check out some prior videos on the event’s Instagram.—
Aaron Davis,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
From a nearby dumpster there came the sweet and musty smell of decomposing seafood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
The moist interior of pipes can harbor decomposing food, attracting fruit flies from the kitchen itself.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Her family has said that her health had been deteriorating in prison, in part because she was heavily beaten during her arrest.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
Giuliani's doctor, Maria Ryan, told Fox News correspondent Danamarie McNicholl that the former mayor began feeling ill after returning from a trip to Paris, with his breathing deteriorating to the point that he was placed on a ventilator.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
By now, however, that view is fading.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Taj Mahal kept fading and ultimately finished 10th.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The right-hand side of the picture is dominated by an enormous red-brick arch in a moderate but evident state of decay.—
Tyler Green,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
Rates below 10 to 12 percent raise immediate red flags about list decay or inflated subscriber numbers.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Your sunnies should be comfortable and durable, not rickety!—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decaying. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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