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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  1. deteriorating
  2. crumbling
  3. worsening
  4. descending
  5. declining
Verb
  • Guzmán pointed to Colombia’s deteriorating fiscal position as the administration’s most immediate challenge.
    — Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The deteriorating security situation at sea is a huge challenge for everybody in the maritime shipping community.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • Rolling blackouts, water scarcity, crumbling hospitals, and shortages of food and medicine had become routine.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 30 July 2026
  • As well as Shusha, Azerbaijan had recaptured the entire lowlands, seven districts that had been crumbling undisturbed for three decades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Definition of crumbling
Verb
  • Faced with a tight supply of interceptors and worsening attacks on its cities, Kyiv has been pressing Washington to co-produce the Patriot system.
    — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Climate change is worsening extreme summer heat, something that more trees can ease.
    — Len Maniace, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • Ring camera video from Hilton’s neighbor — and obtained by NBC News — shows police descending onto Hilton’s Miami property.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
  • While the idea was marketed as a way for local businesses to capitalize on the thousands of soccer fans descending on the area, Kansas City also hoped the pilot program could be a viable way to boost the local economy.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, has released reports on declining inventories based on budget documents and other public information.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Both have dealt with years of declining sales, but hemp beverages have opened a new market for a generation that isn’t drinking as much as its predecessors.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

degenerates
degenerating
degeneration
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Degenerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerating. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on degenerating

Nglish: Translation of degenerating for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All