regress

1 to go back to a previous and usually lower state or level in extreme circumstances, people sometimes regress to the behavior they exhibited in childhood Synonyms retrogress, return, revert Related Words backslide, lapse, relapse; throw back; ebb; decline, degenerate, drop, fall, retrograde, worsen Near Antonyms grow, mature, ripen Antonyms advance, develop, evolve, progress

2 to become worse or of less value the annual celebration has regressed to the point where it's nothing more than an excuse to get drunk Synonyms atrophy, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, descend, devolve, ebb, deteriorate, retrograde, rot, sink, worsenRelated Words abate, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, recede, wane; break down, corrupt, decompose, degrade, dilapidate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy; sour, spoil; lessen, lower, reduce; debilitate, undermine; droop, fail, fall, flag, lag, languish, run down, sag, slip, waste (away), weaken, wiltNear Antonyms better, upgrade; enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen; advance, develop, march, proceed, progressAntonyms ameliorate, improve, meliorate