DEGENERATING Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

degenerating

verb

present participle of degenerate

as in deteriorating

to become worse or of less value over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers

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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 degenerating McFarland found the items inside a degenerating family trunk. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 But in general, any organic media is going to start degenerating over time, and the pH is going to be higher. — Ryan Conner, Dallas Morning News, 1 Apr. 2026 Scientists have hailed the benefits of exercising early in life to lower the risk of your brain degenerating later. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025 In the Pacific, meteorologists are watching to see how much rain the degenerating Tropical Storm Mario could carry into the San Diego region. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerating

Verb

But even with its new foundation and sweeping ceiling, the history of the old, deteriorating barn won’t be lost.

— Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
In the four months before killing her three children and attempting to kill herself, Lindsay Clancy desperately sought help for her deteriorating mental condition.

— Tara Bannow, STAT, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of deteriorating

Verb

On a nearby section of the coast, crews have been placing rock to shore up a crumbling coastline and keep nearby trains running.

— Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
When a team is crumbling, a rare sturdy presence becomes much more than an afterthought.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of crumbling

Verb

Notably, the study did not find that climate change is worsening the other half of the El Niño Southern Oscillation System — La Niña.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
For critics, the carts are running amok, parking illegally, worsening congestion and unlocking another level of overtourism.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of worsening

Verb

The Republican party has promised a return to the good ol’ days, with strong nuclear families at the crux and a fight against the declining birth rate.

— Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Additionally, the drug supply is always changing, with the potency of fentanyl declining in recent years.

— Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

degenerates

degenerating

degeneration

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“Degenerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerating. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of degenerating

verb

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