deteriorate

verb

de·​te·​ri·​o·​rate di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce deteriorate (audio)
dē-
deteriorated; deteriorating

transitive verb

1
: to make inferior in quality or value : impair
Exposure to sunlight may deteriorate the paint.
2

intransitive verb

: to become impaired in quality, functioning, or condition : degenerate
allowed a tradition of academic excellence to deteriorate
his health deteriorated
deteriorative adjective

Examples of deteriorate in a Sentence

efforts to save a deteriorating rain forest Exposure to rain and sun will gradually deteriorate the paint.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood emergency for Ruidoso on Tuesday, warning of rapidly deteriorating conditions and rising river levels that threatened homes and businesses. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025 This is where matters deteriorated, as PSG faced losing the player for nothing, having committed hundreds of millions to his transfer fee, salary and bonuses over the years. Adam Crafton, New York Times, 8 July 2025 The latest example of trouble resulting from this definitional confusion comes from the deteriorating relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI. ArsTechnica, 8 July 2025 Independents’ views on Musk also deteriorated, as Musk went from an even 42% favorable/unfavorable split in December to a 27% to 59% favorable/unfavorable split in June, according to the Economist/YouGov survey. Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for deteriorate

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin deterioratus, past participle of deteriorare, from Latin deterior worse, from de- + -ter (suffix as in Latin uter which of two) + -ior (comparative suffix) — more at whether entry 2, -er

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deteriorate was in 1572

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deteriorate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

deteriorate

verb
de·​te·​ri·​o·​rate di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce deteriorate (audio)
deteriorated; deteriorating
1
: to make or become worse or of less value : degenerate
2
deterioration
-ˌtir-ē-ə-ˈrā-shən
noun
deteriorative adjective

Medical Definition

deteriorate

intransitive verb
de·​te·​ri·​o·​rate di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce deteriorate (audio)
deteriorated; deteriorating
: to become impaired in quality, functioning, or condition : degenerate
her health deteriorated
deteriorating vision

More from Merriam-Webster on deteriorate

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