verb
deteriorate
dih-TEER-reer-rayt
verb
1
To get worse in quality or condition.
"The old roof began to deteriorate after years of neglect."
"Her health deteriorated rapidly over the winter."
2
To make something worse.
"Poor storage will deteriorate the quality of the wine."
How to Use Deteriorate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo go downhill — get worse over time.
Common pairings
conditions deteriorate
relations deteriorate
rapidly deteriorate
Word Forms
deteriorated past tense, deteriorates singular
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The old roof began to _____ after years of neglect.
Etymology
From Late Latin deteriorare, from deterior ("worse").