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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun deterioration differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of deterioration are decadence, decline, and degeneration. While all these words mean "the falling from a higher to a lower level in quality, character, or vitality," deterioration implies generally the impairment of value or usefulness.

the deterioration of the house through neglect

When can decadence be used instead of deterioration?

In some situations, the words decadence and deterioration are roughly equivalent. However, decadence presupposes a reaching and passing the peak of development and implies a turn downward with a consequent loss in vitality or energy.

cited love of luxury as a sign of cultural decadence

How do decline and decadence relate to one another, in the sense of deterioration?

Decline differs from decadence in suggesting a more markedly downward direction and greater momentum as well as more obvious evidence of deterioration.

the meteoric decline of his career after the scandal

When could degeneration be used to replace deterioration?

The words degeneration and deterioration are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, degeneration stresses physical, intellectual, or especially moral retrogression.

the degeneration of their youthful idealism into cynicism

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 deterioration Three others who died after release due to health deterioration caused by prison conditions. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025 This strategy has not been paying out for the company, which complained about the further deterioration of their margins between July and September. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025 De Sanctis was armed with Q-tips, glue, isopropyl alcohol, lemon oil, and eucalyptus oil (handy for removing any adhesive residue from the surface of a film); a separate room, devoted to slowing or reversing chemical deterioration, gave me an odd sense of having wandered into a witch’s kitchen. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 But, perhaps most importantly, is the ability of such batteries to have longer life cycles because their cells are less prone to deterioration. New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deterioration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterioration
Noun
  • Hurricane center forecasters said additional strengthening is expected before weakening begins by the middle of this week.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
  • For another, there’s the DESI data, our best large-scale structure data at present, which seems to slightly favor the presence of evolving (and, in particular, decaying or weakening) dark energy.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This plug design prevents the palladium from shrinking or clumping at high heat—the degradation that limits conventional films.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Though the ancient species once soared over most of the continent, by the mid-20th century, the population of condors had dramatically declined due to habitat degradation, lead poisoning, shooting and the use of DDT pesticide.
    John Leos, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Its decay produces flashes of light in the detector that can mimic potential dark matter signals.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
  • These radioisotopes spontaneously transform into different elements and release radiation – energetic particles or light – in a process called radioactive decay.
    Andrea Richard, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Treasury yields fell Wednesday after new data showed a surprise decline in private payrolls, while traders monitored the consequences of the government shutdown after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on the federal funding bill.
    Sean Conlon,Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The company may still boast one of Silicon Valley’s most storied names, but its staff, which numbered 96,000 as of the end of July, had worked for years through nearly uninterrupted decline, watching their company lose nearly all relevance.
    Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Presenting their findings in a lengthy declination memo, the prosecutors explicitly mentioned the two other investigations to bolster their recommendation that probable cause does not exist to charge Comey, according to sources familiar with the contents of the memo.
    Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2025
  • On those three dates, variations in the moon's position relative to Earth's equator — particularly its declination — can influence tidal forces that subtly affect Earth's rotation rate.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 5 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deterioration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterioration. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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